Playing With Fire Gets You Burned
by Shrug0
Summary: Another typical 'Lucy is ignored and leaves' story. She sets off on a solo mission but got more than she bargained for. She decides to change for the better and leave Fairy Tail, focusing on herself, training with an unexpected mentor. Lucy returns years later, changed mentally and physically. She knew she shouldn't, but she just couldn't help playing with fire.
1. Chapter 1

**Lmao I know that nobody writes fanfiction anymore but I literally just got back into reading it and now I want to write my own story D: it's a sinful guilty pleasure lol. I know that barely anyone is gonna read it or even enjoy it XD but this is just to let it out my brain. If anybody reading this would leave a comment or anything like that it would be greatly appreciated but not necessary as I am not an aspiring writer, this is just for fun :) Also I think anyone reading this will be all 'ugh this is so cliché 'but honestly, I don't really mind cause I know it is XD its supposed to be cliché cause I enjoy this kind of storyline, and so without further ado, here is my story! (Also yes half of this is just made up stuff XD but some of it is researched!)**

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 **~Chapter One~**

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Laughter erupted throughout the guild, the sound of cheers and beer glasses weaved amongst the crowd. Fairy Tail was full of joyous smiles and grins, for everyone was overwhelmed with happiness at the return, albeit odd return, of their beloved youngest Take Over mage; Lisanna Strauss. It was only two years ago that they believed that they had lost her to the grasp of death until she returned alive and well, back home. However, all mages were too busy celebrating to realise that her return was in fact a year ago. Nobody had seemed to escape the trance of partying bar one.

Fortunately, or rather unfortunately, there was one mage who had not let slip of time and reality, who was the only mage left in the guild who continued on with her jobs and was the reason Fairy Tail still maintained such a high reputation. If it was not for her, then no requests sent to Fairy Tail would have been looked at, never mind completed. Whilst the continuous jobs managed to keep her on her feet, when she had time to sit back and relax, it was as though she was a ghost to the guild. Lucy had had her fair share of being ignored, mostly by her father throughout growing up, but the treatment she received from her own 'family' was on a whole new level. It didn't matter how loud she slammed open the guild doors on a morning or shut on a night, how much she tapped for their attention or even how much she tried to join in on all the fun, nothing made them notice her. It was as though she had never been there in the first place.

Of course, this was a traumatic experience for Lucy, she had already lost her biological family but now her new family was beginning to slip through her fingers. Though she did have a year to come to terms with this and that she did. At the beginning, she could feel her heart shatter into pieces almost every day; everything reminded her of the friends she used to do everything with, but now those were only memories. Now, she spent her days completing mission after mission, distracting herself from her supposed family. However, it took her a while to get used to solo missions after being part of a team for so long.

Lucy decided to be strategic at first and pick missions that required less power and worked her way up from there, she didn't want to overwhelm herself from her first mission alone and almost die. So, her first mission was done within two hours, it was a simple job to help an elderly lady find her cat (which confused Lucy because it was such a mediocre request to send to a guild of mages but she did it nonetheless). She took up another mission immediately after, managing to complete all the lower tier requests within two days. While Mirajane was, understandably, still celebrating her sister's return, she had neglected her duty of reporting all the requests that had been received, taken and/or completed. So, Lucy took it upon herself to record the missions she had completed and the ones that were sent to the guild- she had started coming to the guild as early as possible and it was then her who ended up taking the missions from the deliverer.

Soon, Lucy began moving up the board, taking on missions requiring a larger amount of effort and power, which she was able to complete in due time, though she did walk away from each job with at least some cuts and bruises- much to the worry of her spirits. Whilst the experience was all very new to her, she did learn to love the thrill of being in charge of her own missions, her own schedule and being able to play a much bigger role to both her missions and the guild. The more she moved up the board, the more she was able to challenge herself and grow her own magical abilities as well as her spirits, so in a way, she was thankful for the guild's behaviour.

However, her attitude was less kind each time she returned back to the guild, having to record her own efforts and sit alone while she watched from the sidelines. Lucy was a very humble person, but once in a while she would like to boast about her improvements and have her 'family' feel proud of her and today, she just happened to have returned from a very dangerous mission, one that was actually an S-Class mission. She knew deep down that it was technically stealing and she could have gotten into trouble for it, but the guild was starting to get calls from worried and desperate people who had not heard back from the guild about their requests. So she took it upon herself to complete them, lying about her status because who else was going to complete them while the S-Class mages were too busy getting drunk and partying all day? To her surprise, with all her extra training, she found herself very capable of completing these missions.

But that changed on her latest mission. There was a very desperate mayor in need of a mage to destroy a dark guild lurking in the forest, stealing from the town and kidnapping the women, one each week. Lucy felt it was her duty to help them, and immediately set out for the town. Upon arriving, the mayor was overjoyed that someone had finally come to his and his town's rescue; he told her everything that he knew about the guild and even let her stay at the Inn of her choice for free during her stay as a token of his appreciation. Lucy thanked him and left, not bothering with the Inn and headed straight to the forest, determined to complete this mission with no hiccups. As usual, she came up with a seemingly foolproof plan and set to work, summoning both Loke and Taurus to help her take down the guild, after using Gemini to scan the guild and reveal the magical properties of the members inside before sending him back to the spirit realm. So far, everything was running smoothly and the trio managed to take out almost all of the dark mages, whilst Lucy summoned Virgo to untie and help all the kidnapped women escape from their confines and back to the town before she returned back to the Spirit Realm.

There was only the Master of the guild on the second floor to take out before their job was complete. Lucy had raced ahead up the stairs whilst Loke and Taurus finished fighting the remaining five mages left standing. She could sense a strong magic aura coming from the far room of the second floor and crept toward it as sneakily as she could, not wanting to just barge in and give them leverage. The noise from downstairs hid her steps as she carefully opened the door and looked around the room to find no one in sight. Still on edge, she carefully stepped into the room, her whip in hand and in a fighting position. Once she was in the middle of the room, the door slammed shut behind her and she turned around to face her opponent.

Standing before her was a very tall and slim woman with equally long grey hair that was pulled back into a rather long braid that grazed against the floor. Her skin was a healthy tan, contrasting both her hair and her bright mismatched gold and purple eyes. She was dressed in a long green and gold kimono, only short enough to reveal her bare feet. Her hands, arms, ankles and neck were embellished with gleaming gold jewellery containing a range of coloured gems. She made for a very convincing human except for her large fangs, claws and pointed ears. Was this not her current enemy, Lucy would have admired the powerful and seemingly regal woman. Said woman had her red lips pulled up into a cocky smirk, her hands clasped together at her waist as she stared at Lucy.

"What do we have here? A little girl punching much too high above her weight." The woman grinned, patronising Lucy, to which she glared at her. "Perhaps not." She gave her own grin to the woman as Loke and Taurus charged in from behind the woman. She turned but she was only met with Loke's infamous Regulus Punch. Much to the surprise of the trio, the woman was able to dodge the attack skillfully and attack with a kind of her own. "Shadow Inferno." She grins at Loke as his own shadow rose from the ground and engulf his entire body with flames. Were these regular flames, Loke would have been able to withstand them, but these were formed of his opposed element and caused his spirit to disintegrate as he returned tp the Spirit Realm. "Loke!" Lucy shouted, her heart breaking at the sound of his scream before he was forced to leave Earthland. While she was furious at the woman, she had to admit she felt fear for the woman who managed to send one of her strongest spirits back to their realm with only one attack.

She sneered at the woman, who stood grinning at her. "I suggest you go home. I don't need a meddling little girl ruining my plans." It was a sickeningly sweet smile but there was a hint of something else there. Taurus charged at the woman, anger rising in him at the pain she made his fellow spirit endure. He snorted as he charged at her, lifting his axe above his head. "Tension Max!" He swung the large weapon and aimed it towards the woman at high speed. Again, much to their demise, she was able to escape the attack and leapt up, landing on top on Taurus. She growled at him. "Shadow Fusion!" She raised her arm to bring down at the bull, the tips of her claws seeping with a purple liquid. Lucy intervened, she grasped her whip tightly and flicked it towards the woman and it wrapped around her raised hand with a tight grip. The woman gasped as she was flung towards Lucy, who had her fist pulled back, ready to hit.

The unexpected move, however, did not catch the woman off guard and she moved her body slightly to the right, allowing her to claw at Lucy's left eye whilst taking some of the blow. Lucy shrieked in pain, feeling the liquid seeping into her eye and new wound. "I'm running out of time and also patience with you." The woman grinned at Lucy whilst the mage placed her hand over her eye. Taurus charged at the woman again, full to the brim with rage at the woman who had hurt his precious master. "Rampage!" He yelled, swinging his axe to the ground as an earthquake ruined the floorboards and made its way to the woman, avoiding Lucy. The woman, this time, was slightly distracted by Lucy's eye and caused the earthquake to hit her. She was flung back to the corner of the room with a grunt, the attack barely affecting her.

Her eyes were now glowing slightly as she flung herself to the spirit. "Moon River!" A stream of white liquid appeared from her outstretched hands, flowing towards Taurus. The liquid was mixed with streaks of black and midnight blue, it shot towards the bull before he was engulfed in the mysterious substance. He left out a yell before he had to return to the Spirit Realm, the attack too powerful to escape. Lucy felt her rage bubbling inside her, her spirits were hopeless against the supposed Shadow mage. She didn't want to cause her spirits more pain so she opted to not summon any more. The woman sighed before turning to Lucy. "I have to admit, that last attack threw me, perhaps you're not as weak as I originally thought." She mused to herself before Lucy charged at her with an anger filled scream.

However, Lucy was not thinking rationally and charged without even forming a plan in her mind. The woman sighed in disapproval and dodged her sloppy punch, grabbing her head, placing her thumbs on her temple, temporarily immobilising Lucy. Her thumbs glowed a bright yellow as she held onto her. A small smirk made its way onto her face. "Hmm, you seem to be a perfect candidate dear." Lucy felt fear rise in her, she was drastically running out of magic and energy and the woman seemed unaffected by anything she threw at her. Now, she was a 'perfect candidate?', what did that mean?

The woman glanced down at Lucy's eye with an even deeper grin. "Yes, perfect indeed." She answered herself upon looking at Lucy's now cut eye. Her iris had begun to change, the white of her eye temporarily red from her attack. She let go of Lucy and pushed her to the ground, leaning over her. "I will leave you now oh dear Lucy, you can take credit for my disappearance but do not think that this will be our last meeting." She gave a smile now, much to Lucy's surprise. "We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, please accept my apologies." Lucy was stunned at her words, she wanted to apologise?! Though it was in her nature to be forgiving, she couldn't simply disregard the pain she put her spirits through. "See you soon." The woman leaned down and waved her hand over Lucy's face, causing her to fade to blackness, but not before she saw the woman escape from her window and into the distance.

When Lucy woke up sometime soon, she groaned, her body in pain from attaining some new cuts and bruises, the main one was still her left eye. As she stood up, she was facing a mirror that was inside the office and grimaced at the sight of her eye. It was red and puffy, three cuts along here eye, starting from her eyebrow to her cheek, in the shape of an animal's claw. Upon closer inspection, she realised that her iris was no longer brown but a swirl of purple and gold. There was still blood dripping from the cut. She knew that if anyone was to see her, they would scream and run from fear. She sighed sorrowfully and ripped of her left sleeve, tying it around her head like an eye patch, covering her now hideous eye.

She quickly remembered her duty and moved to the first floor, checking all of the mages were still there. They were, thankfully. She pulled out a lacrima phone from her belt and called the Mayor. He was overjoyed at the success and informed the council to head to her location. With another thanks, he ended the call. Lucy didn't move from her spot until the council arrived and she slipped passed them and headed towards the Mayor's mansion. He gave her the money owed with extra for her injuries that she acquired from the job. She thanked him gratefully and left swiftly. She headed on the first train back to Magnolia. Though most train rides were peaceful for Lucy, her mind was a whirlwind.

She couldn't stop thinking about the woman, she was so powerful. She knew her name from touching her head, she dodged all of her attacks, she could have easily killed her but she didn't. Her mind was a mess but she decided not to think about it too much for now, for she still had the chore of returning to the guild and being ignored once again. She sighed and looked out to the window, watching as the sun began to set, the soft glow of the sunset resting on her face.

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 **I was gonna make this longer but I feel like that would be way too much for a first chapter, also I am aware that Moon River is a song XD it's just what I could think of. Also sorry if this is cringey or whatever, like I said, i'm not a write i'm just doing this for fun :) But thank you for taking the time to read this!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ayo another chapter :D**

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 **~Chapter Two~**

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Lucy sighed as she heaved herself up from her seat as the train pulled into Magnolia train station. She hadn't let herself rest and heal other than the few hours she spent on the train so her muscles were pretty sore, along with her bruises and cuts. Dawdling in the direction of her apartment, she noticed a new magic shop. ' _It must have opened while I was gone_ ' she thought. She pondered for a moment before deciding to go in. It would waste time before she had to go to the guild and they might even have some keys or other celestial objects.

She walked towards it and pressed the door open to hear a little chime of a bell. Looking around, there was most certainly a lot of useful and rather pretty weaponry and trinkets, however nothing jumped at her eyes just yet. She decided to snoop around before directly asking for celestial keys. Through most of the aisles, there were the usual weapons such as daggers, swords, katanas and axes etc. She sighed as her eyes skimmed across all the dull and basic designs, still nothing peaking her interest. She turned the corner to the last aisle and she suddenly stopped. Gleaming directly at her were a pair of midnight blue fingerless gloves with small constellations on the backs. They looked simple enough but it was clear they were designed for celestial mages.

Lucy picked them up and clicked her tongue out of boredom at the rest of the shop, having nothing else of use to her. She walked up to the register and was greeted by a nervous but smiling man. He held out his hand for the gloves, which she handed over. "Is that all?" He asked softly, hoping not to anger Lucy. It was clear she intimidated him. She gave him a smile to ease his nerves. "Actually, I was wondering if you have any Celestial Spirit Keys?" She asked in her nicest tone, after all her anger and frustration shouldn't be taken out on an innocent bystander. The man tapped his foot in thought while ringing up the price of the gloves. "Hmm, I think we may have one, but first I must inform you of the gloves' power." He turned to Lucy with a smile. "They may look like simple gloves but they actually possess Celestial magic but in light form. For instance, if you were to punch someone, your gloves would glow and add extra speed and strength to your hand to hand combat." He explained and Lucy nodded before her went to the back of the shop to search for the key.

Lucy heard the rummaging of boxes before the man returned with a pleased grin, holding up two boxes. "It appears we have two, you're in luck." Lucy smiled at him as he sent them out on the counter, revealing the keys inside. The first key was the silver key of the Falling Eagle; Lyra. The key was slightly larger than average silver keys and had golden wings on each side of the top of the key, along with streaks of brown and gold swirling around the key. The second was the same size as the first, the silver key of the Little Fox; Vulpecula. Whilst the first key had swirls of brown and gold, this key had a swirl of brilliant red around the key, the ears at the top of the key were the same colour. Lucy grinned at the two keys and nodded at the man. "I'd like both please." The man smiled back with a nod and rung up the keys too.

"That'll be 40,000J please." In the past, Lucy would have choked at the price but with her just completing a mission with a reward of over 300,000J she certainly did not mind paying that price and handed the man the money. He thanked her and Lucy quickly placed her new keys on her keychain and picked up her gloves, placing them on her hands immediately. "Wait!" The man stopped her as she almost left the shop. She turned around, confused, she gave the right amount. "Uhm, I know its none of my business, but I thought perhaps you'd like this eyepatch?" Lucy stared at him. "Free of charge! It's just, nobody has ever bought it from our previous shop and it seems that you'd be of use to it." He gave her a nervous chuckle and held out an eye patch with a similar design of her gloves. She took a hesitant step forward. "It matches the gloves, though it doesn't possess any magic." He said shyly, smiling as she gratefully accepted the eyepatch. "Thank you." She smiled at him before finally leaving.

She sighed, the encounter with the friendly man only made her miss the actions of her guild family and friends. "Why did they have to change." She sighed, trudging towards her apartment, deciding not to face her guild today and rest instead. She made her way towards her apartment and unlocked the door, locking it behind her. She groaned, stretched her aching joints as she headed straight for bedroom and adjoining bathroom. She felt disgusting, her body encased in a layer of sweat, her clothes stained with her own blood. She placed her keys on her nightstand along with her money, belt, new gloves and eyepatch before heading to the bathroom.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she grimaced in disgust. Her hair tangled with dirt, clothes sticking to her skin and not to mention the hideous sight lying behind her wrap of clothing. She turned to her bathtub and began running the hot water, eager to clean her dirty body. She stripped off her clothes and with shaking fingers, began unwrapping the cloth from her head. She sucked in a breath from the sight. Though the cuts had stopped bleeding, there was dried blood stuck to her face. Her eye was still red and her iris was still a swirl of purple and gold. Whilst the red of her eye made her look demonic, she had to admit that the swirl of colours did look rather beautiful.

She sighed once more and once the bath was full enough, she stopped the running water and emerged herself into the hot water, hissing as the water touched her fresh wounds. She lay there. Still. Silently weeping. She thought she was starting to grow stronger but it seems that she was kidding herself, she could have died completing this mission and it was no one's fault but her own. Her spirits always praised her on her improvements but it seemed they were feeding her lies. Sensing the water was beginning to cool down, she reached for her body wash, rubbing off the layers of dirt, sweat and blood, hissing whenever the suds washed over her cuts or bruises. Rinsing her skin felt a lot more relaxing for her sore skin and muscles. She quickly washed her hair, sighing as her fingers rubbed against her scalp, relaxing her ever so slightly.

Soon, she got out of her bath and wrapped a towel around her body and hair, walking towards her bedroom. She raided her wardrobe for comfortable clothes and settled for a black tank top and grey sweats, changing into them after towel drying herself. With a glance to her nightstand, she picked up the eyepatch and moved back into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. She took the towel off her head, letting her damp locks hit against her back softly. She frowned as she looked at her eye, placing the eyepatch over it, which didn't quite cover the bottom of the scars on the cheek. Her shoulders slumped from her sadness. It couldn't be ignored now, she was no longer the same Lucy that joined the guild those few years ago. She had lost part of her light, to which she had gained anger, frustration and sadness.

She shook her head at her reflection and moved back into her bedroom, collapsing into her cold yet soft bed. She tucked herself underneath her covers, taking one last glance over at her keys, new and old, with a small smile. "Night guys." She whispered, receiving a soft glow from them in return. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes and awaited the dreaded day of tomorrow.

/

The light from the rising sun beamed on Lucy's face, effectively waking her up. She groaned and stretched, feeling her back give a satisfying crack before she got out of bed. She rubbed her eye to get rid of the sleep in her eye, but didn't dare to touch her other eye just yet. She yawned, standing up and moving towards her wardrobe. She looked for a moment before picking out black ripped skinny jeans, a black corset and a grey long sleeve blouse, along with grey knee high boots. Her style had drastically changed in the past year, now opting for darker and less revealing clothes, but she managed to keep a feminine touch to her outfits. She placed on her gloves too and just left her hair down. She picked up her belt, money and keychain from her nightstand and left her house, locking the door behind her.

Now that she felt all her magic had returned, she summoned Plue to keep her company on the walk on the river ledge to the guild. Old habits die hard. She smiled as Plue began wobbly dancing in front of her in efforts to cheer up his obviously stressed master. She hopped off the ledge and picked him up into her arms, hugging him to her chest. "Thanks Plue, at least you and my other spirits aren't ignoring me." She said with a faint smile. As the guild came into view, she summoned Plue back to the Spirit Realm.

With her head held down, she pushed open the guild doors; she gave up trying to make a big entrance months ago. "Hey everyone." She said loud enough, in hopes that today they would hear her but as usual, she received nothing back. She rolled her eyes and went towards the bar. Mirajane wasn't there but in the corner with Team Natsu fawning over Lisanna's repeated stories of Edolas. Lucy shook her head as she moved around to behind the bar and recorded her latest success. She helped herself to a strawberry milkshake, leaving the money on the counter. She moved to a table at the lonely corner of the guild, where not even Gajeel or Lily were sat. Gajeel was sat by Levy, and Lily was sat where Gajeel was. Lucy blew out a breath she didn't realise she was holding in and sat down at a table.

She drank her milkshake, mindlessly stirring it as she stared at the crowd away from her. "Woah Lisanna you're so brave!" A member shouted, other agreeing with them. Lucy rolled her eyes. ' _It's not as though she has been repeating the same stories ever since she got back. I have much more interesting stories to tell_.' She frowned at them. She knew that she was jealous of the Take Over mage but she couldn't help it, she was used to being able to talk with her friends and family as she pleased and now that was taken away from her and given to Lisanna. ' _Was I just a replacement this whole time? Am I really that disposable?_ ' Her frown deepened as she pondered the thought. This wasn't the first time she had thoughts like this but she always pushed them away. Now, she can't help but think she's right to assume the worst.

She groaned, placing her arms upon the table and her head between her arms. She heard footsteps walking past her but paid no mind to it, knowing they were not towards her. That was until, she felt a tap onto her shoulder. She gasped, flinging herself up to see her friends stood in front of her. Her eyes were wide open at the sight in front of her. Natsu, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy and Carla! All stood in front of her! It seemed too good to be true. "Am I dreaming?" She said out loud, in disbelief that they were stood in front of her. Natsu laughed at her. "Why would you be dreaming Luce?" The nickname made her heart melt, she had never thought she'd want to hear him say her name so badly. She could cry. "Uh.. I don't know." She said in a breathy tone, her smile reaching her eyes. Gray chuckled. "See she's being silly, yet again, this is why we have to do it." His smile faded slightly and his arms folded across his chest. Lucy's heart dropped. What did he mean?

Erza shushed him. "Quiet Gray, this is a sensitive subject. All in due time." She gave a small smile to Lucy. Natsu pushed forward, getting even closer to Lucy. "Yeah yeah yeah. I got this." He waved them away and turned back to look Lucy in the eye. "Lucy..." He began but failed to complete his sentence, drifting his eyes away from her with guilt. "Yeah?" Lucy looked at him with hope, crossing her fingers that it wasn't anything bad. He looked back at her with a frown. "We want Lisanna on our team. But we're also kicking you out of Team Natsu." He said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Lucy was frozen. She had been on solo mission after solo mission, she knew that she wasn't, in a sense, part of the team anymore but it still hurt nonetheless. She opened her mouth but closed it again. She stared at all of them in the eyes, none of them daring to look back at hers. "Why?" She choked out, her head hanging low. Lisanna moved forward with a smirk. "You're just dead weight." Gray added on the list. "You're too weak." Erza carried on. "You constantly put yourself in danger and distract the team." Natsu finished it. "You hide behind your spirits. To be honest, we're just better off without you." He said. Lucy stared at them in disbelief. How could they even dare say something like that?

Lucy sneered at them and stood up abruptly. "How dare you!" She yells, pointing her finger at them all. They looked at her in shock. "Weak?! Dead weight?! Distraction?!" She laughed darkly at the irony of the last one. By this time, she had caught all of the attention of the guild. "You have no right to call me weak or dead weight when I have been the one holding this guild together for the past year! I have been taking mission after mission because none of you were going to do so!" She saw their eyes widen at her anger, not at her words, but at how her voice was dripping with disgust. "Now she's a liar too!" Lisanna called out, glaring at Lucy while wrapping an arm around Natsu. Lucy didn't know why but the action made her insides churn.

"Check the book if you don't believe me! I had to do it all myself because people have seem to forget their duties around here. You all claim to be one big, happy, loving family but you're not! You're nothing but fakes and lia-" Lucy couldn't finish her words before she received a powerful slap from the hand of Erza. Lucy held her right cheek with tears brimming her eyes. "I won't tolerate this behavior Lucy! Now you either apologise to us or..." Erza struggled to think of a punishment until Natsu intervened. "Or leave!" He glared at her, Lisanna's grip tightening on him. The guild, to Lucy's shock, began agreeing with Natsu. "Yeah we don't need you here!" They yelled. "Just get out! Nobody likes you anyways!"

Lucy could feel the tears running down her cheeks at their harshness. Soon, people began throwing objects at her, being much more aggressive than necessary. One person even threw a glass at her, smashing against her left hand on the table. Her tears quickly halted as her sadness was replaced with anger at the complete lack of respect she was receiving. She grabbed a piece of the glass and turned to face Natsu in the eyes. "You want me gone?" He just stared blankly at her. "Fine!" She yelled, ripping off her glove with her teeth before slamming the glass into her hand, cutting over her Fairy Tail mark, watching their faces of shock as blood dripped from her hand, her screams of pain muffled from the glove in between her teeth. Everyone was silent as she shoved past them, racing out of the guild doors.

She ran to her apartment, disregarding her bleeding hand and the tears streaming down her face. She didn't care about the many looks she received from onlookers and kept running to her house. She made it quickly and opened her door, sealing it shut, placing her glove in her pocket. She made her way to her bathroom to care for her hand, hurrying to get out her medical supplies. Before she could even open her First Aid kit, Virgo had forced her own gate open to care for her master. "Lucy-hime, please allow me." Virgo begged, grasping Lucy's hand gently as she slid down to her knees, becoming a teary mess. She nodded and let Virgo get to work. It wasn't long before she was done, but still stayed with Lucy so she wouldn't feel alone.

"Virgo, I'm fine, really you can go back." Lucy tried to argue, wiping her tears away from her eyes with a sniffle. Virgo gave her a sad look. "Lucy-hime, please, you don't have to go through this alone. You have all of your spirits who love you dearly." She said, pulling Lucy into a hug. "I know." Lucy hugged her back, her breath hitching as she tried to calm down. After what seemed to be an hour, Virgo pulled away from Lucy, but frowned to see she was still crying. "Is there anything we can do to help you Lucy-hime?" Lucy sighed, wiping away the fresh fallen tears and stood up. She turned to her reflection and pulled off her eyepatch, Virgo gasped at the sight, quickly standing up with her. "Lucy-hime! What happened?!" She went to touch her eye but stopped herself.

Lucy glared at the mirror, her eye a reminder of her own weakness. "What if they're right?" Lucy choked out, placing her bandaged hand in front of her. Virgo frowned at her master. "They aren't right. Not to us. You are one of the strongest celestial mages known to history. You're the furthest thing from weak." She said, trying to ease her. Lucy's glare deepened. "This disgusting eye is a reminder of my weakness." She sneered at it. Virgo didn't dare say anything, understanding that her master was very emotional at that moment. Lucy looked back at her hand. "I used to think Fairy Tail was my safe haven, my fresh start at life. I used to believe that I had found a whole new family, a place where I belonged." She clenched her hand, ignoring the pain. "But now it's all a lie!" She gritted her teeth, punching her mirror with her uncut hand, her fist glowed as bright yellow with her glove and her mirror shattered to the ground, surprisingly leaving her hand unharmed.

Virgo stood still, staring. Lucy began crying again at the sight of her in the shattered pieces that remained on the mirror. She hated that she seemed to look even plainer now that there were less pieces of her mirror. Something gleamed in the corner of her eyes, a pair of scissors on her sink. She grabbed them, to the panic of her spirit. "Lucy-hime, what-" Lucy calmed her. "It's okay." She said before staring at the broken mirror. The words of her former guild echoing in her head. Her breath picked up in rage, with a cry of heartbreak, she grabbed her hair and started cutting it off, leaving only a short length of her hair left. Virgo gasped both in shock and relief that she wasn't going to injure herself more. It only took Lucy a few minutes before all that was left was a very messy and uneven head of hair. Virgo held out her hands for the scissors and Lucy complied, crying as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"I'm not as good as Cancer but I'll try to even it out." She said and began her best efforts to neaten up her hair. Lucy stood as still as she could, trying to calm herself. Virgo finished soon enough and placed the scissors back to their place on her sink. "All done." Lucy's hair was now into a choppy bob. She said before beginning to clean up the mess of the broken glass. Lucy just stood still, too dazed to move. Virgo announced she was finished and that she had to return to the spirit realm but not before she gave one last small hug to Lucy. "Goodbye." Lucy whispered as Virgo disappeared. Lucy sighed and moved back to her bedroom, sitting down on her bed slowly, placing everything on her nightstand and taking off her shoes.

She felt Loke's key vibrating and glowing brightly and she stroked it to calm him down. She knew he was very worried about her but still too weak to return back to Earthland on his own. She placed her covers over her and eventually fell asleep with Loke's key held tightly to her chest. Tomorrow she would devise a plan for her future away from Fairy Tail, but now she needed to rest.

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 **Oof this was a long chapter XD Boy did this hurt my neck..**


	3. Chapter 3

**Woah, I didn't expect people to even read this never mind to like it so much XD thank you so much for the lovely reviews! You guys are making me blush! XD**

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 **~Chapter 3~**

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Blinking her eyes open, Lucy's body woke herself up for a reason unknown to her. She expected the sun to have woken her this morning, but she was met with a dark room, only illuminated by the street lamp outside her window. She groaned, turning over to try and go back to sleep but jolted. She held her hand to her heart, in order to calm it down. Loke had forced his gate open at the first chance he had and evidently laid down next to her. She stared at his sleeping face, trying to make out his peaceful features with a dim light. She could eventually see his shut eyes and his nostrils flaring in his sleep, she glanced down to his lips, which were rested in a small smile. Lucy returned it. She never knew how he was able to look so content all the time.

She had been staring at his smile for so long that she didn't notice his eyes were now open. "Like what you see, Princess?" He chuckled softly, Lucy playfully slapped his arm. "Shut up." She glared with a smile before sighing. "You didn't have to force your gate open." Lucy looked up at him with a frown, worried about his weak state. "You need to rest." Loke rolled his eyes at his master's words. "I know I didn't have to, I wanted to." His smile grew wider and he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You know that we're all here for you. You're not alone." Lucy nodded, tears prickling her eyes. She knew that she could always depend on her spirits but it still crushed her to lose such a large family she had learned to love with all her heart. "Thank you." She sniffled, wiping away her unfallen tears.

Loke gave her a smile in return. Lucy groaned, stretching her limbs before getting out of bed. "Well I'm up now so I might as well start." Loke followed her lead, standing up off the bed. She sighed solemnly, knowing she'd miss her comfy apartment dearly. Loke placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "I'll see if Virgo will store most of it in the Spirit Realm." Lucy sighed, opening up her wardrobe at the realisation that she couldn't possibly carry all of it. Loke nodded, helping Virgo place all of Lucy's items in the Spirit realm (except for the essentials) once she was summoned. Lucy picked out the clothing and items she required for carrying and let Virgo take the rest. Pretty soon it was completed, Virgo leaving with a bow while Loke stayed.

Lucy had already packed food, water, clothes and camping equipment in a rucksack after changing into a comfortable set of clothes and shoes. She opted for a loose grey hoodie, black sweatpants and black hiking boots. She placed on her belt, attaching her money and keys, also slipping her gloves on her hands. She was stood at the door now, looking back at her now empty apartment. So many memories were created in those four walls, so much laughter, sadness, fear and love was held in each of the rooms but now they couldn't even be classed as memories, only ghosts. She gave one last stare, a heartbroken smile and a soft wave before she shut the door behind her, venturing on for a new future.

/

She made it to the train station alone, finally being stubborn enough to make Loke go back and rest instead of accompanying her. In all honesty, she didn't know where she should go, or could go or had to go. She tried to think strategically but her mind went blank. She hadn't really paid much attention to her surroundings on her missions, leaving that up to Erza in the past or just not bothering in more recent events. She knew she'd have to ask someone for a place that suited her plans.

"Hello miss, how can I help you today?" A friendly employee asked her, greeting her with a beaming smile and crinkled eyelids. Lucy relaxed a bit, placing a hand on the desk. "Hi, I'm looking for a place with a lot, like a ton, of foliage or even mountains." She paused but saw no shift in the woman's expression. "Where would I find a place like that?" The woman's smile dropped in thought for a few moments before her eyes opened wide, revealing two bright blue eyes. "Well, you'd want to take the train to Clover Town, it's a very mountainous area." Lucy thanked her and promptly paid for a ticket to Clover Town.

Lucy waved goodbye to the helpful woman and set off to wait for her oncoming train. As she walked away from the desk, she did not notice the woman's eyes shift from the blue to a mismatch of purple and gold. "No, thank you, Lucy Heartfilia." She grinned slightly, moving away from the desk and from sight.

Lucy finally got onto her train and sat into an empty seat, placing her rucksack next to her as she stared out of the window. She could feel the train's engine humming through a vibration in her seat. Just as the train began to move, a hooded figure stood opposite her. "Do you mind if I sit with you? All the other compartments are taken." The voice was soft and feminine. Lucy nodded but still kept weary of the mysterious person sat directly opposite from her.

It had been roughly an hour on the train and the silence was just as awkward now as it was at the beginning. Lucy shifted uncomfortably, trying to concentrate on the scenery outside of the tracks. Another few minutes had passed before Lucy felt like she couldn't take the silence anymore. "Awkward, isn't it?" The person beat her to it, as though reading her mind. Lucy stared at them, baffled. "Yes... Where are you headed?" Lucy asked, pausing her sentence to look the stranger up and down. She couldn't really see anything other than a long, black, hooded cloak and a singular strand of grey hair that had fallen out of the confines of the hood. The stranger lifted their head up, revealing a smile. "The same as you, Clover Town."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at them. "How did you know?" They chuckled softly. "Your ticket is in the pocket of your rucksack." Lucy turned and saw that her ticket was indeed poking out from the side of her rucksack. _Lucky_. She thought, turning her head away again. "Might I ask why you are headed to Clover Town?" The voice spoke again, somehow even softer, as though they didn't want to scare her away. Lucy was hesitant to answer but complied anyway. "I'm going to train up in the mountains. What about you? Why are you going to Clover Town?" The person chuckled again.

"I'm meeting someone." Lucy gave a stiff nod and turned a third time to the window. "Forgive my rudeness, but why are you training? Do you feel that you are...weak?" Lucy snapped her head towards the person but they were gone. She gasped, clutching her keys out of fear. "I'm not weak." Lucy whispered to herself, her head hanging low as she felt tears rise to her eyes. She blinked the tears away, huffing in slight anger. Unknown to Lucy, the person was stood outside the booth with a deep smile. "Hmm you may not believe your strength now but soon enough you will be the strongest mage known to man." They whisked away quickly, leaving Lucy on her own for the rest of her travels.

Roughly 5 hours later, the train pulled into Clover Town. Lucy sighed in relief, swinging her bag over her shoulder and setting off the train, glad to finally stretch her legs and back from the long train ride. She immediately saw the large mountains in the distance, grinning as she began her hike towards finding her camp. She summoned Plue for some comfort as she began walking through the town first before eventually reaching the outskirts of the forest. Lucy groaned as she realised just how large the forest and mountains were- which were great for her circumstances- but not so great to walk through. Plue wobbled in front of her and panted, obviously tired from the walk through the town. She smiled down at him, giving him a hug before sending him back to the Spirit Realm.

It had been almost 2 hours of walking until Lucy came across a large clearing. It reminded of her of the two contracts she was still yet to make. She walked towards the clearing, detaching her newly attained silver keys. She stood straight, holding out Lyra's key first. "I Open thee, Gate of the Falling Eagle; Lyra!" She felt her magic surge into the key, a bright light flashing before her as her new spirit was revealed. Lyra was almost twice the height of Lucy, she could tell before he was fully revealed. Once the light dimmed, her jaw dropped in awe at her new spirit. He was a very majestic and beautiful creature. His feathers were a blend of gold and brown, his under feathers a bright white. His eyes were a dark brown, matching the colour of his large and sharp talons. His beak was long and was such a bright yellow it could have been mistook as gold, though it was bore with scars across the top. He seemed like an ordinary eagle, except for his size and golden anklets with his constellation around his legs.

"Hi! I'm Lucy Heartfilia, I'm honoured to make your acquaintance, Lyra." She bowed before him, determined that was the appropriate thing to do. Lyra chuckled at her actions. "You do not need to bow, you are to be my master, not the other way round." Lucy felt her cheeks heat up from embarrassment. "Of course." She smiled, scratching the back of her neck. "My ability is the use of Wing magic and Light magic. I am available to your service every day of the week." Lucy nodded, taking in the new information quickly. "Thank you, I'm looking forward to working with you." She gave him a toothy grin. "As am I, I've heard a lot of good things about you Master." Lucy shook her head. "Please call me Lucy." She insisted. "Of course, Lucy." They both shared a smile before Lucy returned Lyra back to the Spirit Realm.

Lucy placed Lyra's key back onto her keychain before placing Vulpecula's before her. "I Open thee, Gate of the Little Fox; Vulpecula!" She yelled, another bright light before her. As the light dimmed, what was stood there was a slightly larger than average fox. Her fur was a brilliant red, her tail almost the same length as her body with the tip full of gold fur. Her eyes were a soft blue, co ordinating with her blue anklets with her constellation. She was jumping up and down. "A new master! I'm so excited!" She grinned, racing towards Lucy. "Oh you're so pretty too! I can't wait to work with you Master! It's been so long since I was on the field!" She cried, circling Lucy with gratefulness. Lucy giggled at her antics, patting her head as she finally sat down before her, her tail wagging behind her rapidly. "I'm excited to work with you too Vulpecula." Lucy smiled, scratching her ear and watching her whine happily into her hand. "You're so nice! And sweet! And pretty!" Vulpecula stood up again and began jumping around. Lucy shook her head. She could tell that her newest spirit was full of energy, she must have been cooped up in the Spirit Realm too long. "What days are you free?" Lucy asked her, causing the fox to stop and turn to Lucy obediently. "I'm free every day you need Master! I can use Light magic, Fire magic and I can shapeshift into a human form." She tilted her head up, flashing a toothy grin. "That's great." Lucy gave her the praise she was expecting. "But please, call me Lucy." Vulpecula nodded rapidly. "Of course, Lucy." Lucy smiled at her before sending her back to the Spirit Realm and placing her key back onto her keychain.

She made her way out of the clearing, continuing on to the mountains. It wasn't long before she felt a key begin to vibrate and swing against her leg, glowing brightly. She looked down in concern, seeing it was Vulpecula's key. Fearing for the worst, she summoned her. The fox appeared before her with a breathless grin. Lucy gave her a quick look over her body. "What's wrong?" She asked as she looked over her spirit but saw she wasn't harmed. Vulpecula looked down with shyness. "Well, it's been ever so long since I had a master... I've been so alone all this time... I was wondering if I could walk with you?" Lucy shook her head, chuckling at the adorable fox. "Of course you can." Vulpecula perked up, her tail wagging as they started walking again.

Within an hour, the two had come across a large cave. "Perfect." Lucy's eyes lit up at her findings, Vulpecula racing ahead of her into the cave. "I'll go in first, I need to make sure it's safe before you enter." Lucy rolled her eyes at her overprotectiveness but let her do it anyways. As Vulpecula got further into the cave, her body began to glow a bright red to illuminate the dark walls. The light soon disappeared deep into the cave, worrying Lucy with her disappearance. "Vulpecula?" Lucy called out, hoping she was safe. The minutes went by and the sun began to set. Lucy frowned, her concern growing with each passing second. Enough was enough. Lucy headed into the cave, set to find her newest spirit.

She could barely see anything in front of her, placing her hands out in front of her in case she walked into any walls. "Vulpecula?" She called out again, hoping to find her red lit body. She walked in deeper, not giving up. It wasn't until she turned what seemed to be a corner that she saw Vulpecula's glowing body running towards her. Lucy smiled at the sight of her spirit but it immediately flipped at Vulpecula's fearful face. "What's the matter? What did you find?" She asked, petting her head to comfort her and calm her. "We must leave Lucy!" She yelled, nudging Lucy to the direction of the exit. "Why?" She stood still, much to the dismay of Vulpecula. "There's a monster in here! I couldn't see what it was but it's quite large and powerful!" She shook with fear, pushing against Lucy, desperate to get her out of the cave.

Lucy stared into the darkness, her eyes squinting. "Are you sure? I don't-" Lucy was interrupted by the ground shaking, knocking her off her feet and onto the ground. "What is that?" She gasped, the creature getting closer. Vulpecula whined, grabbing Lucy's rucksack with her teeth and dragging Lucy along with it. "I don't know and I don't think we should find out!" She cowered, running for the exit of the cave. Lucy stood up and ran herself, the monster copied them and began running towards them at a much faster pace. The ground shook as it raced, knocking the two off balance. "We're almost there." Lucy encouraged her spirit, but just as they could escape the cave, the monster had leapt over their heads and blocked off the exit to the cave. The pair were knocked off their feet when it landed, both having no choice but to stare at the creature in terror and awe.

The sunset glow was reflecting off it's large body, outlining it's midnight blue scales. It had two very large purple horns poking out from each side of it's head, smaller horns running down the middle of it's back. It's underbelly was a mix of green and gold scales, contrasting to the rest of it's dark scales. It's tail was long and the same colour as the rest of it's body, however the end of it's tail ended with white scales. Similar to it's tail, it's head was mainly blue with a stripe of white scales in the middle of it's head. The beast was a sight to behold but Lucy could only stare at it's eyes. It's beautiful and familiar mismatched gold and purple eyes. Before Lucy had time to recognise those eyes, the beast let out a mighty roar upon the two.

The raw mixture of shock and fear was enough to cause Lucy to fall back, losing consciousness. After all, it's not everyday that you stumble across a dragon.

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 **Whoop whoop another chapter down! You can probably already put two and two together on who the stranger and dragon are. XD I'm not very subtle. Gonna be honest, I finished half of this chapter whilst eating ice cream XD. Pretty excited to start chapter four though! Thank you for reading :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here it is, chapter 4 :D (also I know ending it with her fainting was a bit cliché but I honestly couldn't think of anything else XD).**

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 **~Chapter Four~**

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Lucy stirred in her sleep, her body waking itself up, unsettled within the strange environment. Her eyes blinked open to reveal she was inside a dimly lit cave, courtesy of a burning fire a few feet away from her. She propped herself up and scanned around, trying to familiarise herself with her new surroundings. There wasn't much there that was out of the ordinary, just plain rock. She sighed in relief when she eventually saw her rucksack only an arm's reach across from her. ' _Thank god, I wouldn't want to lose that_.' She thought, grabbing it and pulling it closer to her. She stood up, looking around once more to be safe.

It wasn't until she heard the jingle of her keys as she stood that she realised a certain energetic fox was no longer with her. ' _She probably got sent back to the Spirit Realm after I fainted_.' She thought to herself, hoping that was the case. Then she remembered why she fainted and grimaced. ' _Oh dear god, there's a dragon in here with me_!' She knew she had to leave before she'd become that thing's dinner. She threw her rucksack onto her back and decided to head towards her right; both sides seemed like an empty pathway but she hoped this one would lead to the exit. After a few steps she could see that it was an opaque darkness so she went back and grabbed one of the burning sticks to use as a light.

Her steps were small and slow, cautious of the unknown. She waved the stick from left to right, allowing her to see all of that was in front of her, which was nothing. After a few minutes of mindless wandering, she came to a dead end. Lucy groaned, turning around but caught a glimpse of movement ahead. She waved around the stick to try and get a look at what lurked in the shadows but it was too far away for her to see. She tip toed forward, hoping it wasn't the humungous beast looking for it's next meal. "Hello?" She called out, her voice shaking from fear. It returned with a growl and a few steps toward her. Her legs began to quiver, barely supporting her weight. With that, she knew that the monster was indeed preying upon herself and there was next to no chance of escaping.

The pounding of it's feet moving closer to her caused her to fall back onto the ground, staring up into the abyss to find the dragon. There was a final growl and a few more footsteps until it was right in front of her, inches away from her face. She was able to stare back into it's glowing eyes before it blew air from it's nostrils which caused the fire to extinguish and encasing the pair of them in darkness. "Please don't eat me." She whimpered pathetically, holding the stick in front of her face as she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it was all a bad nightmare.

There was a moment of silence before a chuckle spread across the cave. She heard the dragon puff what sounded like fire out of it's mouth but she didn't feel any burning sensation or pain of any kind. Slowly, she peered her uncovered eye open to see the dragon standing before her with now lit candles along the sides of the caves. She could feel it's eyes burning into her soul as she remained cowering behind her measly stick. "Child, if I wanted to eat you, I already would have. I'm not one for theatrics." It spoke, shocking Lucy into a frozen state. "You...can talk?" She whispered, mostly to herself to try and get her brain to comprehend the situation that was unfolding. The dragon rolled it's eyes. "You're not that quick are you?" It mused, lowering it's head down to her.

"I'm not going to harm you, pull yourself together girl!" It huffed, standing back upright. Lucy nodded her head in obedience and stood up, straightening out her clothes under such a powerful presence. Lucy stared awkwardly at the dragon, not quite sure of how she was supposed to react, only knowing that deep down she wanted to scream and cry and run away from this surreal experience. "Good. Now, I assume you have questions, I'll give you three." Lucy opened her mouth to speak but closed it straight after, finding it too hard to pick just three questions from the havoc going on inside her head. "Who are you? Why are you here? How come you're not eating me? What did you do to Vulpecula? Are the other dragons-" Lucy's ramblings were interrupted. "I said three!" The dragon sighed, shaking it's head at Lucy's nonsense.

Lucy tightened her lips, not wanting to anger the very intimidating creature before her, feeling lucky just from the fact that it didn't chose her as it's next meal. "My name is Demeter. I am a dragon of royalty and I am here because I have chosen you, Lucy Heartfilia, to be my successor." Lucy went stiff. The new information was baffling to her. Demeter didn't give her time to process and continued speaking. "You were foolish to assume that I was going to eat you, silly child. As for your other questions, I shall be generous and answer them. Your spirit, Vulpecula returned back to the Spirit Realm just as you lost consciousness. I carried you further into my cave to keep you safe from the cold night and made you a fire. I waited for you to regain consciousness so I could explain everything to you." Lucy just blankly nodded as she took in the information.

"I have been watching you of recent Lucy, I needed to make sure you would reach me in time for me to teach you my magic fully with you being able to master it. I suppose you must recognise me and be angry at first reaction but I assure you I mean no harm." Lucy stared back into her eyes and then it all clicked. "You!" Lucy glared at the 'woman' who gave her a scarred eye. Her first thought was to attack her but she knew that she wouldn't stand a chance. "How can you expect me to forgive you for what you did to me?!" Lucy yelled, anger bubbling up in her, her fists clenched tightly. Demeter sighed, her shoulders slouched a little. "I don't expect you to forgive me for my past actions but you have to understand that my time is running out and I need a successor otherwise my magic will die out and so will other forms of my magic. I only did what was necessary for the future and I hope you can look past your anger and accept my offer." Lucy's glare softened slightly, her forgiving heart crippling at the thought of such a large and powerful beast asking for forgiveness.

"I'm listening." Lucy folded her arms over her chest, still holding a firm gaze. Demeter straightened up her posture and smiled softly. "I understand that you came to Clover Town to train to become stronger, well allow me to teach you the strongest magic known to mages across history." Lucy raised an eyebrow, her curiosity peeked. "Allow me to make you an Elemental Dragon Slayer." Demeter grinned at Lucy's amazed expression. She couldn't believe her luck; she was offered an opportunity of a lifetime. While she was still angry at the woman for her scarred eye, her promise of immense strength would, without a doubt, even the balance and give the two a clean slate.

Though the whole situation was quite bizarre, Lucy could tell that Demeter was desperate and in dire need of a 'successor'. Lucy quickly reviewed the pros and cons of the offer in her mind and came to the conclusion that is was very beneficial to the both of them. "Alright, I accept." Lucy grinned up at Demeter. The dragon returned it with a softer smile. "Thank you, Lucy." They shared a moment of forgiveness and peace before Demeter turned around, walking in the direction Lucy came in and gestured for the blonde to follow her.

"I have another question." Lucy said, her eyes looking at the floor in thought. "And what would that be?" Demeter asked, leading them throughout the large cave. Lucy looked up at the dragon. "Why me?" Demeter looked down at Lucy, glancing briefly at her concentrated face before turning back. "As you should remember, when you discovered me, I used the shadow element, and you are a mage of light. I must admit, you fought well enough against me which already gave you a leverage not many previous mages had. You were able to catch me off guard for a split second, which is a hard thing to do." She boasted, knowing she had Lucy's full attention. "When my attack caught your eye, your body had absorbed my shadow magic. Naturally, for a light mage with shadow magic in their system, it is repelled and quite fatal to their bodies but you seemed unaffected other than the flesh wounds. Because you were able to absorb magic of the opposite element, it showed that you had the potential to obtain Elemental magic." Lucy kept a straight face despite her shock at her own hidden strength.

"You may not think so, but you are already a strong mage." Demeter looked down to see Lucy giving her a shy smile and a muttered thanks. "But I'm going to make you the strongest." Demeter smirked at Lucy's growing smile. They then walked in silence until Demeter lead them into what seemed to be an empty room. "Why are we-" Demeter raised her arm to shush her. Demeter placed a claw onto the wall and turned it as though she was unlocking a door, before she blew out a puff of smoke onto the rocks. Lucy watched, full of curiosity. In seconds, the dull rock wall was replaced with a colourful portal, leading to a place unknown to Lucy.

"Climb on my back." Lucy didn't hesitate and complied immediately, climbing up onto Demeter's back, careful of her spikes and held on tightly. Once she knew Lucy was secure, Demeter moved into the portal, opening her wings and shooting through the swirls of vibrant colours. In the same time it would take for someone to click their fingers, they had entered a land of beautiful scenery and magic. They were flying high about the ground, allowing Lucy to see almost everything this new realm had to offer. "This land is home to many kinds of creatures, but most importantly, it caters to dragons. You're in the Dragon Realm, Lucy." Lucy gasped, after hearing Natsu's nonsense about Igneel for so long, she began to doubt whether he was real up until this point.

"That area there is where the faeries nest, along side them are the Pegasus and Unicorn. Most creatures that reside there are creatures of light and purity. Whilst we do have creatures living here that are not pure in the technical sense, we cannot allow those corrupted with darkness to reside in this realm. They are banished to the Demon Realm." Lucy nodded in agreement; this land was so beautiful and serene that it would be a terrible shame if darkness took over it. "Do you see that castle up ahead, Lucy?" Lucy squinted and was finally able to see a blob that resembled a castle. "Almost, why?" Demeter smiled at the girl. "That's where you'll be staying throughout your training." Lucy's eyes widened. She had prepared herself for rough nights outside or camping in caves, not living in a luxurious castle fit for dragons.

Eventually, they made their way to the entrance of the castle and Lucy was able to study it better. It was an incredibly tall building and that was just from the outside view, it could look a lot more spacious inside. The castle appeared to be built out of marble, but it was in such pristine condition that it gleamed as the sun hit it. Lucy slid off Demeter's back and stood staring at the castle in awe. "Enough gawking, come inside." Lucy turned to see that Demeter had changed into her human form, her appearance unchanged from the moment they had originally met.

As Demeter stepped up to the front doors, two guards appeared from thin air. They were both in dragon form with a mixture of white and gold scales and bright blue eyes. There armour was made out of silver and outlined with copper. There armour covered the tops of their heads, chests and legs and carried matching katanas, blocking the entrance. "Your Majesty." She smiled at them. They bowed in her presence and removed their weapons from the doors, granting entrance to both Demeter and Lucy. The blonde was going to question it but then realised that she had already mentioned that she was royalty. ' _But wait, they said majesty. That would mean.._.' Lucy pondered. "Are you the Queen?" She asked, quickening up her walking pace to look at Demeter in her eyes. She smiled at Lucy and nodded. "I am yes, and you are to be my successor." Demeter carried on walking, leaving Lucy stood to her spot.

She quickly caught up. "But why am I your successor? Don't you have children?" Demeter rolled her eyes at the girl. "Surely you can answer that question on your own." Lucy frowned. ' _If she doesn't have any children, then who is going to inherit her throne? Perhaps a cousin?_ ' Lucy was about to ask her but decided not to and leave it for another day. They were walking at such a fast pace, Lucy was unable to admire her surroundings. Demeter led Lucy up a few flights of marble stairs before stopping at a white door. She turned to Lucy, gesturing to the door. "This will be your chambers during your stay, I'll leave you to get comfortable and rest, I assume you are quite tired after today." It was only then that Lucy realised just how tired she actually was and nodded at Demeter's words. "Rest, I shall have someone collect you in the morning for breakfast and further information." Lucy nodded yet again and entered her room as Demeter left.

She was in awe at the décor of the room, it was fit for, well, a princess. The walls were green with swirls of red and gold. There was a very large bed which completely surpassed the size of a king bed, with heaps of white and red pillows, the quilt matching the swirled pattern on the pillows. To the left of the bed was a stunning stained glass door leading to a large balcony that overlooked most of the dragon kingdom. After Lucy stared at the glass longer, she realised that the pieces of red, white, gold, green and blue glass were in fact in the shape of a woman stood in front of a dragon, a gold halo behind them. There was a desk of oak wood just next to the balcony with a large mirror, she guessed it was for makeup. There was an identical desk opposite the first, on the other side of the room, she assumed that would be for writing purposes as she glanced at the pots of ink and stacked parchments.

Across the last wall were two doors; one white and one gold. Lucy opened the white door to reveal a very large bathroom. The bath appeared to be made out of marble and big enough to fit in 5 people. Beside it was a slightly smaller walk-in shower, both already supplied with luxurious toiletries. Across from the shower was a larger than average sink, a mirror above it, holding toothbrushes, facial scrubs etc. Lucy left the bathroom and opened the gold door, admiring what awaited behind the second door just as much as the first. The gold door revealed a very large walk-in wardrobe, already fully stocked with just about any clothing item Lucy could think of and more. At the very end of the room there was a full body mirror, in which she was able to see her shocked expression. She circled around, looking at all the clothes that were there and was only able to see a blend of vibrant colours.

She left the wardrobe and walked over to shut the main door of her bedroom and walked over to the balcony to catch the last glimpse of the sunset in the Dragon Realm. She carefully pushed open the glass door and walked across to the edge, leaning on the ledge. She sighed contently, the result of her journeys was one that she could never have imagined. The world had a funny way of balancing out things. She smiled as the soft glow of the sun was warm against her face. It was a strange concept, but Lucy had always thought of the sunset as a resemblance of her mother's presence. It was warm and bright, spreading joy until it had to go and all that was left was darkness and a coldness that was hard to get rid of.

With that thought, the sun had finally set and soon the sky was embellished with bright twinkling stars. Lucy shivered at the sudden cold breeze, clutching at herself. She looked up at the gleaming constellations with a small smile before returning to her room, shutting the balcony door behind her. Lucy didn't bother with a wash just yet, far too tired. She was sure if she did she may just fall asleep in the bathtub. She took off her shoes, belt and jeans and placed her belt with her possessions onto the nightstand next to the bed, opting to sleep in her hoodie.

' _Tomorrow should be fun_.' She thought wishfully before tucking herself under the comfy quilt and rested her head against the soft pillows. It didn't take long before she drifted off to sleep and awaited for the sun to rise in the morning.

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 **Another chapter down and yes obviously I made Lucy sleep in her hoodie cause who doesn't? XD**


	5. Chapter 5

**We're getting into the juicy part soon guys XD I know most people jump into all the action but I really want to take my time and make sure not to skim over important details. Also, thank you for everyone that has reviewed, favourited or followed the story, it really means a lot that you like it so much :)**

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 **~Chapter Five~**

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An energetic hand pounding on the door was more than enough to wake Lucy up instantly, her body jolting upright. "You awake?!" A man's voice yelled from outside her door. She glared at the door, figuring that if she stared long enough, the persistent stranger would stop. "Hey, if you don't answer in five seconds I'm coming in there!" He matched the banging of his fists to the countdown. "Five!" Lucy's eyes widened at the thought of a man seeing her in her current state. "Four!" She rubbed her head, the loud man as the cause of her morning headache. "I'm awake!" She yelled back, sighing as the knocking stopped. "Get dressed, I'll be back in forty minutes to take you to breakfast. If you're not ready by then it's tough luck!" She could hear him chuckle as he walked away from her door.

She sighed once more, confused at the lack of patience the residents here had. She rubbed her head as she threw the quilt off her, heading towards the bathroom to freshen herself up. She decided to have a quick shower, not taking the chance of the man interrupting her during a relaxing bath. Switching on the shower and letting the water heat up, she stripped off her hoodie and undergarments. She quickly hopped into the shower as her body felt a drastic loss of heat. She was quick to wash her hair with whatever shampoo and conditioner she saw, not caring (with her limited time) on which scent she was using. She also found a body wash in no time and lathered herself before quickly rinsing herself. She turned off the shower and hopped out, shivering almost instantly at the noticeable difference in temperature. She looked around for a towel and luckily found one hanging on the rack at the side of the shower.

She dashed out of the bathroom and into the wardrobe, unsure of how much time she had left to get dressed before the man would come and take her mid-change. She scanned over the sections of clothing and picked out an ordinary pair of white underwear and matching bra, slipping them on after rubbing herself dry. She didn't know what to expect today so she decided to just pick what she thought looked good. Noticing a lot of corsets, she put on a pair of black ripped jeans and a long white button-up shirt, placing one of the smaller black corsets around her waist. She then picked out a pair of flat, grey knee-high boots. She used her towel to then rub her hair as dry as she could before brushing out the tangles and leaving it to fall despite it barely reaching her shoulders now. She walked back into the bedroom and put on her gloves again along with her belt and keys before walking towards her door and opening it.

She felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest as she saw a man standing inches away from her. The man was considerably taller than Lucy, his black eyes burning into her soul. His skin was tan, contrasting to his light grey hair, styled to the right, the left side shaved. He had scars all of his cheeks, chin and nose, accompanying the many iron piercings forming a line down the middle of his face and ending with snake bites on his lips. He wore a loose, sleeveless, grey shirt which was tucked into baggy black jeans. The sleeveless shirt allowed him to show off his large muscles and even more scars across his arms. Her eyes trailed down to see his hands were covered by grey fingerless gloves. On his feet were black boots decorated with iron nails. ' _They look more like weapons than shoes_.' Lucy thought before flicking her eyes back up to his face, his lips pulled into a smirk at her blank expression. "Sure you don't want to stare a bit longer?" Lucy had to admit she was intimidated by his blunt personality and obvious strength. He felt familiar to Lucy for a reason she had yet to solve. He gave a gruff chuckle before nodding his head to his right.

"We gotta head down and meet the others." He walked off, expecting Lucy to follow him and not stopping to check if she was. Lucy decided not to question the man and rushed to catch up to him. She had to quicken her pace to keep catching up since his strides were a lot larger than hers and she was unable to match his pace. Again, Lucy was rushed to her destination that she was unable to get a good look around the castle. "We're here." He said, stopping in front of a brown door, gesturing for Lucy to enter. "Ladies first." He smirked down at her, having a way of making what would normally be a charming action, into a patronizing one. Lucy narrowed her eyes at him and pushed open the door, not knowing what to expect.

She could hear people talking as she opened the door and then silence as she revealed herself. She could see many people sat around a large table, food spread across both ends. "Ah, Lucy, so glad to finally meet you." A woman gave her a bright smile, gesturing towards the seat between herself and Demeter. The woman had a pixie cut of hair as white as snow and bright blue eyes to match her calming aura. Her skin was less tan than the man's but it wasn't quite pale. She was wearing a light blue, knee-length dress and a cloak made of white feathers. She wore matching blue flats with a band of white silk around the edge. She didn't bare nearly as many scars as the man but Lucy noticed one in particular across her left arm. Lucy gave her a nervous smile and sat down at her supposedly designated seat.

"Hello, nice to meet you..." Lucy reached out, shaking the hand of the woman. "I'm Grandine, Dragon of Wind and Air." She smiled brighter, clasping Lucy's hand gently. Lucy grinned at the familiar name. "You're Wendy's dragon?" She asked, perplexed at coming across Wendy's adopted mother. Grandine's eyes grew wide at the mention of her adopted daughter. "You know my Wendy?" Lucy noticed that her smile grew brighter with her question. "Yes, we were in the same guild, before I left." Lucy looked down solemnly but quickly snapped out of her sad state, wanting to have a better first impression. "I knew Wendy, Gajeel and Natsu." She stated with a forced smile.

Two men overheard their conversation and butted in. "You know my son?" They both asked, voices merging together. One of them was the man from before and the other she hadn't seen. ' _They must be Igneel and Metalicana_.' She thought, looking them over. She stared between the two men and came to the conslution that they did happen to look like older versions of the dragon slayers. Igneel had fiery red hair which was a bit longer than Natsu's and some stubble but despite that, he still just looked like Natsu would in 10 years. He had the same onyx eyes as Natsu, but they seemed deeper, wiser. His skin was a bit more tanned, his feature more mature and defined. He had scars across his face and body, much like Metalicana, but had two prominent ones across his right eye and cheek. He wore a white button-up and black jeans, paired with brown combat boots; already he seemed to have a better sense of fashion than Natsu, however she playfully questioned the choice of a dangling gold earring in his left ear in her mind.

Lucy nodded at their question. "Yes, or rather, I _used_ to know them." She sighed, not looking them in the eyes. "What do you mean?" Igneel asked, leaning forward, intrigued. Lucy didn't know whether she should tell them the truth or to make up a pretty lie. After a few seconds of arguing in her head, she thought they ought to know the truth and began explaining. "Well, for the past year I have been ignored by my guild, including Gajeel and Natsu and even Wendy." Grandine frowned at that, evidently disappointed by her child. "It was a strange occurrence but it happened nonetheless. I was the only one doing the requests on the board and even had to lie about my status and complete S-Class requests. I was able to complete a couple of them, but..." Lucy gave a sideways glance to Demeter. "One of them I was not able to." Demeter looked away from her with regret. "When I returned to the guild, all of Team Natsu were standing over me and said horrible things." Lucy frowned, remembering the humiliating feeling. "They said I was weak and dead weight and... and..." Lucy stuttered, trying to say the words without bursting into tears. "Natsu told me to leave the guild, so I did." Everyone sat round the table frowned, sympathising for the blonde girl.

There were a few moments of silence until Igneel broke it. "That's not Natsu." His eyebrows furrowed in deep thought, he rubbed his chin. "No. That's not my Natsu." Igneel insisted and Lucy gave him a half-smile. "I did consider the possibility of a dark spell so I asked Loke to check it out but he came back with nothing." Igneel huffed and stood abruptly. "Excuse me." He all but growled out, storming out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. "Jeez." Metalicana rolled his eyes at Igneel. "So his kid made a mistake, he's just gotta wait til he apologises." His gruff voice breaking the silence again.

Grandine took Lucy's hand in her own and gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry for Wendy's behaviour but I can't help but shake the feeling that the person you described is not _my_ Wendy. She wouldn't even look at a person too long nevermind ignore anybody ." Lucy returned the sad smile. "I thought so too, perhaps there is something deeper into this than I thought." Lucy sighed. ' _This first impression hasn't gone very well_.' She grimaced internally but followed the lead of the dragons and began eating the food displayed before her.

* * *

Back at Fairy Tail, all partying, celebrating and cheering had ceased, all that was left was a guild full of depressed mages with the light of their guild gone. It was the day after Lucy had left the guild that Mirajane decided to check the record book and noticed that Lucy had in fact taken on and completed pages upon pages of requests throughout the last year. ' _We were blind this whole time_.' She frowned at the book once it was discovered Lucy was telling the truth. Mirajane had informed the guild of their mistake, that caused their first wave of sadness. On the first day they still laughed but it was half-hearted or forced.

Everyone's behaviour had dropped suddenly, much to the dismay of Lisanna. "Come on guys, cheer up!" She gave them all a forced grin, trying to boost up the energy of the guild. "Wanna hear another story?" She looked hopeful at them but they all just waved her away. "Not today." Lisanna could feel her face contort to that of anger. ' _This isn't how it's supposed to be! They're supposed to be loving and adoring me!_ ' She growls in her head, storming away and back to Team Natsu. They greeted her with sad smiles. "What's wrong?" Lisanna asked in a bittersweet voice. "We miss her." Erza said, fiddling with her sword; something she rarely did. "Who?" Lisanna asked darkly but it went unnoticed by them. "Lushy!" Happy whined, rolling over onto the table.

Lisanna felt something snap inside her. "We don't need her. She is dead weight." They were unaffected by Lisanna's harsh words, although Wendy's mood seemed to grow worse with her unkind comment toward the girl that helped bring her to Fairy Tail. She rolled her eyes at their lack of energy. "Why don't we go on a mission to cheer up?" Gray and Erza perked up, just the slightest, and they looked at each other before sharing glances at the rest of the team. "Sure, why don't you pick? It'll be your first mission with us." Gray offered and Lisanna grinned at him, skipping over to the request board.

Once she was gone, Gray leaned in close to Erza. "Do you not think it's weird that she's unusually happy, it's like she has no regret or anything." He whispered quietly. Erza stared at the Take-Over mage and pondered before nodding her head in agreement. "Yes it is strange. I also question why we did something so horrible to Lucy. I'm trying hard to search for an explanation in my head but I come up empty every time." She whispered back, both of them sharing a worried look. "I have the same feeling." He moved back and sat upright as Lisanna hopped back over with a mission in hand. "Let's do this one!" She giggled and handed it to Natsu, who had not moved from the same spot all day nor took his eyes away from the floor. Seeing that he wasn't paying attention, she gave it to Gray with a bratty pout.

He skimmed over the details and had a confused expression on his face. "Are you sure you want to do this one? I'm sure there are better-" She cut him off with a tense grin. "I want to do this one!" He stared at her for a few moments before sighing. "Okay, if you want." She nodded and giggled, clutching onto Natsu. "Help, our couples reserve is being robbed by dark mages each week, we need your help to stop them. To make you blend in, you will need to act as couples or have a couple take this mission. The reward is 60,000J." Gray read out the mission with a dull voice, expressing his clear lack of excitement for this mission. Natsu finally propped his head up, shrugging Lisanna off him. "Lame." He grumbled, heading over to sit by himself. Lisanna huffed at his actions, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How about you and Natsu act as a couple, so you can keep him in check." Lisanna grinned at Gray, not realising his words were not directed at her. "And Lisanna, you can be paired with me." She glared at Gray with great distaste. "I'd like to be paired with Natsu though." Gray narrowed his eyes at her. "But if Erza keeps him in check then-" She interrupted him again. "I can handle Natsu!" She grinned and Gray still didn't seem convinced, slowly getting creeped out by her persistent nature. "I dunno…" He trailed off, causing Lisanna to shuffle closer to him. "We weren't going to come out with this just yet but Natsu and I are already an item so it's suited that we be paired together, don't you think?" She smiled as she whispered into his ear. Gray pulled a confused face. "Really? Natsu? In a relationship? With you?" Lisanna's face darkened. "Yes. What's so shocking about that?" Gray shook his head. "Nothing. Okay you can be paired with Natsu and I'll be with Erza and Wendy?" The blue haired girl looked up at him with a sad smile. "Yes? Gray-san?" He smiled at her. "You and Carla might want to sit this one out, it's not really a place for girls your age." Wendy nodded, understanding, before she and Carla moved to talk with Lily, Levy and Gajeel. Lisanna skipped over to Natsu to tell him the 'good news' and Erza stood to tell them that they were to meet at the train station in an hour, no later.

The guild grew even more silent in Team Natsu's leave, that was until they all came marching into the guild seething with rage only a day after they left for their mission. Gray walked up to Mirajane with a deep scowl, slamming the mission request onto the bar. She flinched at his anger. "What's wrong?" She asked, voice laced with concern. He sneered behind him, past a growling Natsu and seething Erza. "Ask your sister." He huffed, slouching against one of the bar stools, Natsu and Erza stood behind him. Lisanna eventually made it to view with her eyes rolling. "I didn't do anything!" She whined, dawdling towards Mirajane. "Yeah, nothing but distract Natsu the whole time!" Gray glared, turning his head away from her before his anger got the best of him. Erza placed a calming hand on his shoulder. Lisanna rolled her eyes yet again and crossed her arms.

"He's right. We failed the mission because Lisanna couldn't contain herself from fawning over Natsu like a sick puppy." Her eyes felt like daggers to Lisanna, to whom found no fault her own. "So what? The whole point was to be a couple and I did just that." Gray's eye twitched at her comment. "The job was to take down the guild!" Natsu finally spoke. "If I didn't have you following me around everywhere and being in my face 24/7, we could of actually completed this mission! Gah you're so annoying!" He growled, turning his back on her. Gray directed his glare back to Lisanna. "Guess this means you're breaking up." Lisanna tensed at his words, Natsu followed suit. "Who's breaking up? The team?" He shifted towards Gray, his back still facing Lisanna. Gray glanced between Natsu and Lisanna before he managed to put two and two together, smirking darkly at the conclusion.

"Oh didn't you know? Apparently, you and Lisanna are dating, but you don't want anybody to know." Gray chuckled sarcastically at Lisanna, who was now staring at the floor. Natsu growled in disgust. "Dating? You told people we were dating?! We're just friends, not even that now." He snarled, shaking his head. "At least Lucy can act professionally." He muttered under his breath, moving to walk away. Lisanna felt her patience snap in two. "Why do you even bother with Lucy?! She's nothing! It's supposed to be me, not her!" She yelled, stomping her foot and clenching her hands by her sides. Erza agreed with Natsu. "You're right, Lucy wouldn't be giving us this lip, we never should have kicked her out in the first place. In all honesty, I miss her with all my heart and would rather have her in your place."

As though her words were an incantation for a spell, every member of the guild simultaneously felt something unlock in their minds. It felt as though a wall had broken down and their memories of the wonderful blonde flooded their brains. Her loving personality and bright laughter was everything that they were missing from the guild, everyone craving to have their favourite celestial mage beside them yet again. Their happy memories quickly turned into those of regret and guilt. They had ignored her for a year, and then had done the unspeakable only a few days ago. ' _What have we done?_ ' Everyone thought, wishing to turn back time.

Everyone was overcome with guilt but none more than Natsu. He had neglected her this whole time, his bestfriend, his Lucy. He told her that she was weak, kicking her out of the team and the guild. He searched deep within his mind, trying to find an explanation as to why he had done such a thing but all he remembered was Lisanna; her unsettling grin, feeding him and touching his arm all the time, sometimes even forcing him to look at her. He shivered at the flush of disturbing visions. He felt a rage like he never felt before, his body temperature rising rapidly. "You poisoned me." His eyes bore into Lisanna with a darkness no one had seen from him before. This was perhaps one of the only times Natsu had come to solving a mystery before anyone else. Lisanna took a step backwards for each step he took forward, his eyes narrow but his lips pulled into a scowl.

Everyone stared at the helpless girl who was slowly getting cornered by Natsu's wrath. In these seconds, they felt no sympathy for the mage; after all, they were simply pawns in her game to steal Natsu away from Lucy. Gray, for once, didn't dare to go against Natsu and let him release his emotions. "You made us ignore her!" He growled, his hands now lit with scorching flames. Lisanna had nothing to say to defend herself, only looking at her older siblings in hopes they would intervein and rescue her. They only avoided her gaze in shame. "You hurt her! You pushed her out of the guild!" Lisanna's knees reached a table and she had to awkwardly shuffle around it so not to be caught in Natsu's flames.

"I had to! You wouldn't pay me any attention with _her_ around." Lisanna whined, pouting her lips with fake tears in her eyes, attempting to play the victim but it only increased Natsu's hate for her. "You caused all of this heartbreak for my attention?!" He cracked his neck, a crazed look hazed over his onyx eyes. Lisanna took her last step backwards, feeling a wall behind her and her face was contorted into fear. "Well you have my attention now!" He snarled, his fist raised above Lisanna's head. "Natsu, stop! I'm your bestfriend." She whispered, holding her hands in front of her face. Her words fell on deaf ears. "Can you live knowing that you caused pain to a fellow guild member, who should be your friend, your family! Are you satisfied now that you've brought shame on yourself, Mira and Elfman?! Was it _worth_ it?!" With that, he extended his fist behind his head, ready to unleash his newly pent rage. He felt a hand on his wrist, stopping his attack.

Erza shook her head at him and lowered his arm down. He gave her a solemn look, his flames disappearing into thin air. Lisanna peaked out from behind her hands and let out a sigh of relief. "I knew you wouldn't let-" Lisanna was unable to finish her sentence before Erza's armour clad hand punched her square in the face, knocking her out cold. "Come along Natsu, let's go for a walk." Erza placed her hand on his shoulder and guided him out of the guild, leaving the two elder Take-Over mages to tend to their little sister.

The guild returned to what they were originally doing before the drama pursued. Though they knew that they weren't fully to blame for Lucy's pain but they couldn't stop the guilt and regret that consumed them. Only one thought was on their minds; how badly had they hurt Lucy and where was she now?

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 **Oh my god this chapter is so long D:, my neck is killing! Ah well, I hope you guys enjoyed it :D, I'll be hoping to get the next chapter up either tomorrow or Sunday :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter down, loads more to go XD**

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 **~Chapter Six~**

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Natsu's arms began to shake, his muscles fatiguing from how hard he was clenching his fists. He couldn't decide what emotion was stronger than the others but it was a fight between anger, sorrow and regret. He couldn't believe he had been so gullible all this time; his mind so easy to be fooled and used by someone who he had called family once. Though his mind was free, he was stuck with the sickening regret and guilt that remained. After years of preaching and practising of loyalty and family, it was a tough blow to swallow to find out he was the one to break it, and to his best friend no less. He felt a sense of emptiness with Lucy gone and he could feel the whole in his heart grow larger the more he thought about it.

"I know you're hurting more than all of us Natsu, but you can't blame yourself. Lisanna had you under a potion, you had no control." Erza tried to comfort him, but knew that no words could mend his damaged mind, only time would have any hope for him. They had walked in a circle all through Magnolia in silence until they stopped at the riverside that Lucy had a habit of walking over. It was then that Natsu relaxed his arms and Erza began her attempts of soothing his heart. "I could've stopped it. I'm weak, not her." His head hung low as he moved to sit down on the ledge, Erza placing herself down next to him. "None of us saw it coming, we were all fooled, we were all wrong." She stared into the still water, both of their reflections seemingly exposing their sins. Natsu glared at what he saw, disgusted at himself. "I did it though. I pushed her to the breaking point. Nothing can change that. Nothing." His sadness flowed down his cheeks in the form of tears. "We might never see her again and it's all my fault." He grabbed a small pebble that was laying on the ledge and threw it into the river in anger.

Erza's frown deepened, her own tears blurring her eyes. "We have to have hope." She choked out, trying to be strong, but the fear of Natsu being right upset her too much. Natsu shook his head, his hand sloppily wiping away his tears. "What if she never comes back?" He could feel his heart clench at the thought of never being able to see Lucy again, the girl that gave his life a special kind of light that nobody else gave him. Erza closed her eyes, trying to hold back the fresh tears at his words. Neither of them said anything, just sitting and crying silently in each other's presence.

"Natsu, I know that this will be a very hard time, for all of us, but we'll need to continue on with our lives without Lucy." He disagreed. Standing up off the ledge, he began to pace back and forth. Erza looked at him in concern. "Natsu-" He had already had enough of pacing and turned to face her. "I need to be alone." His voice was cold and unfamiliar to Erza. His eyes were blank, lost of all passion and joy. She simply nodded and could only watch him as he walked away from her. She could not guess how much time he would need to come to terms with Lucy's leave but she knew that the person she was looking at was not Natsu.

* * *

Lucy had finished her minimum amount of food, her appetite faded from the tense atmosphere caused from Igneel storming out of the room. Demeter noticed that Lucy was staring off into space and gently touched her hand. "Come along, I have much to explain to you yet." She spoke softly with a smile, leaving the table. Lucy followed closely behind her. Demeter walked much slower this time, allowing Lucy to finally appreciate the inside structure of the castle. The walls were simply marble, as were the stairs and floors, though they had a red carpet placed through all of the corridors. Hanging from the ceilings were incredibly large chandeliers with skillfully intricate carvings, matching the golden hand railings for the stairs. There were painted portraits of dragon royalty or history throughout the whole castle, dating back to the world's earliest years. There were beautiful portraits of royalty at their coronations in their human forms, their eyes seeming to follow Lucy down the corridor. There were other paintings of battles and dragons training and it was in those that Lucy had her first glimpse of the true strength and power of dragons.

"It really is quite something, our history I mean." Demeter spoke as Lucy halted her steps before one painting in particular. It was a dragon that looked almost identical to Demeter, dressed in green and gold armour. It seemed to be in charge of the ferocious battle around it, for most of the focus was pulled towards that singular dragon. It was charging towards a dragon of black and neon blue, behind that a much smaller black shadow. "Who is that?" Lucy pointed to the dragon in the centre of the painting. Demeter smiled up at the painting. "That would be my father, Enki, king of the dragons." Though there was a smile upon her lips, it seemed full of sadness. "He always fought with such passion and courage. To me, he was fearless, unstoppable."

Lucy turned to Demeter to see her staring up at the painting. "He was a kind ruler, loved by all of his subjects. He protected us for many years, charging first into battle." Demeter met Lucy's gaze. "He used to promise me that one day I would fight alongside him and his army." She shook her head with a soft smile. "He seemed like a good man." Lucy gave her smile and Demeter nodded her head. "He was. He used to believe that all creatures, good and bad could unite and bring peace. He thought that the power of love was the strongest of them all." She turned back to the painting with a frown. "I believed him once." Demeter tore her eyes from the painting of her father and began walking further down a corridor.

Lucy followed her in silence, seeing that Demeter's mood had shifted from their small talk. It was only a few more hallways to walk down before Demeter opened a black and white door, the colours merged together in a taijitu symbol in the middle of the door. She held it open for Lucy and walked in after her, closing the door behind her. The room looked like a larger office at first glance but as Lucy looked closer, she could see books of prophecies and magic stocking the bookshelves, maps and battleplans layered over the large desk in the middle of the room and a small armory in the far left corner of the room. "Why have you brought me here?" Lucy asked, spinning around to face Demeter.

She sighed, walking towards the bookshelves and pulled out a seemingly ordinary book. She opened it down the middle and placed her hand cross the spine. The action made the book glow and bright white before purple smoke blew out of the pages. "This book can predict the future. It is accurate for the near future but beyond that it can show a path that you would take. That doesn't necessarily mean that what it reveals is what will be, only what could be." Lucy stared at the purple smoke in curiosity. "Look deep into the smoke and it will reveal your future." Lucy nodded slowly, already traced towards the book's magical properties.

Lucy felt her eyes be clouded from the smoke but it opened up her mind with new knowledge. She saw herself surrounded by dragons of all colours. She looked different, almost unrecognisable from her appearance now. She had a serious expression on her face before she saw herself produce a bright light from her heart. The scene changed before it had shown Lucy what it meant. She was now stood in a field, dressed in what looked like royal robes. Her hair was incredibly long, grazing the green grass with the ends. Her robes of that of gold and white, her hands and neck embellished with jewellery worthy of a queen. She wore a large crown upon her head, ruby, sapphires, emeralds and gems of all colours were engraved inside the diamond structure. She no longer wore an eye patch, embracing her mismatched eyes, her scars still visible but seemingly painless. Behind her was a sight that warmed her heart; behind her were all of her spirits laughing and smiling, even with spirits that she didn't recognise.

The scene changed again and Lucy could see a dragon of white and gold, it's eyes a chocolate brown, along with it's chest. It had a few scars across it's stomach but they were minor injuries. It had it's wings spread wide, head held high as it roared to the sky. She couldn't see around the dragon, the book making her focus on the dragon itself. However, what really caught Lucy's attention was a pendant hanging around it's neck. It had the appearance of a galaxy with one larger and brighter star in the center of the necklace. Before Lucy could investigate further, the vision faded away and returned her to the office room.

"The first two visions you saw are what will be but the third is what could be, you need not pay much attention to the last vision." Demeter spoke sternly as she placed the book back. "You must have seen yourself surrounded by dragons in the first vision." Lucy nodded and Demeter finally offered her a smile. "That is because you are going to be trained by the strongest dragons here in my castle, including myself." Lucy's eyes widened from shock, this was one of the greatest opportunities she could ever ask for and it took a few moments for it to sink in. "I... don't know... what to say." She spoke in a breathy voice. Demeter smirked at her before moving to leave the room. "How about a thank you?" She joked, before nudging her head towards the corridor. Lucy grinned back at her and followed her, excited to see where she was taking her next.

"Obviously, you will have questions about your training but all of those will be explained by your mentors in due time. I also know you are wondering where we are going now and I can tell you that we are headed to the training grounds so you can meet your future mentors." Lucy nodded in silence, her mind trying to process just how rare this situation is. Demeter eventually lead them to an exit door which opened up to what looked like a training ground, though heavily secured from the dangerously powerful dragons it kept inside. Lucy saw a few dragons already training with their attacks, each using a completely different element; water, fire, poison, thunder etc. Some were in their human forms and just observed those that were training, either learning or criticising she didn't know. Demeter gave a smile at Lucy, placed her hand on her back and gently lead her towards the dragons gathered in the grounds. "Come along and meet the people that will soon feel like your family. You've already been introduced to a few of them but the others are very excited to meet you, they haven't had an excuse to use these grounds in a long time." Lucy could feel herself blushing, she wouldn't be able to get used to sounding so important.

"Hey Luce, come on over!" She could feel her heart skip a beat from those words; they sounded so much like the ones of her former best friend. She knew that she would have to learn to heal her scars but it would be a challenge with the obvious ties to her previous family.

* * *

 **Oh my goodness I am so sorry this is shorter than normal and a couple days late but I've been pretty overwhelmed with college and personal stuff :/ but, to make it up to you al, next chapter is when the training starts! So excited!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for this slow update, just been having a rough few days and I didn't have time to myself to write, hopefully this chapter makes up for it :)**

* * *

 **~Chapter Seven~**

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"Hello again, Igneel." Lucy gave him a forced smile, waving her hand slightly. The man gave her a shy grin as he walked up to her, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry for storming out before, I just have a strange feeling about Natsu." Lucy nodded in understanding, taping his shoulder for reassurance. "Mind out the way you idiot, let me get a look at her!" A deep yet feminine voice shouted out as a hand pushed the fire dragon to the side and revealed an eager woman.

She had deep red hair that was styled in waves and reached her waist. Her skin was very pale, almost white, which made her sharp features stand out that much more. She had emerald green eyes, a button nose and full lips painted in a dark purple. She was dressed in a floor length dress of the same shade of purple, with streaks of black flowing down the skirt. She wore black laced boots underneath her dress, as you could see from the side slit in her skirt. Since the dress was sleeveless, her arms were covered by fingerless black loves that reached her elbows. The woman was very tall, almost a foot taller than Lucy and she had to admit it did intimidate her. Lucy couldn't deny that the woman was very shapely and beautiful but her most striking feature was the red stripe across her neck, which she could only assume was a birthmark. "I'm Datura; Dragon of Poison and Blood, pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand with a dark smirk which Lucy gladly shook. "Nice to meet you too."

"You've already met Grandine and Metalicana." Demeter said as the two walked past Lucy with a greeting before standing to the side to let others speak to Lucy. "It is an honor to meet you, Lucy Heartfilia." A soft voice spoke, belonging to a mysterious looking man. His skin was pale, whiter than Lucy had ever seen. His hair contrasted greatly to his complexion, his long, thick hair was as black as the night; black seemed to be this mans preference. He wore a plain black long-sleeved shirt and black trousers which were tucked into larger buckled black boots. He wore a long black cloak over the top and even covered his hands with black gloves. The only other colour Lucy could spot were his blood red eyes and pink scar across his left cheek. "Just Lucy will do." She gave him a smile despite her obvious discomfort, and hesitantly offered him her hand. He shook it gently, holding her hand with such care. His gentleness didn't surprise her due to his frail looking physique. "My name is Samael, I am the Dragon of Death." Lucy nodded, it now made sense to her why she felt so uneased by him.

Lucy found it quite odd that they were all lined up to meet her one by one, and not to mention there were so many of them. Next in line was an eccentric woman, to Lucy at least. Her skin was fair but the rest of her was very vibrant. Her eyes and hair were both a shade of bright pink, her hair reaching the ground despite being pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a loose baby pink t-shirt that seemed to have been cut shorter, exposing her toned stomach. She wore low-rise hot pink jeans and red thigh high boots, matching her red cloak. She wore fluffy gloves that were the same shade of pink as her jeans, her whole outfit matching in one way or another. Lucy could guess what her powers were linked to by the heart shaped birthmark on her right cheek, just below her eye. "I'm Venus; Dragon of Love and I'm so so so happy to see you! You're so beautiful too, you'll make such a stunning dragon uhm slayer." Her mouth widened from ear to ear as she shook Lucy's hand rapidly, shaking the poor blonde all over. "Nice t-to meet y-you." Lucy struggled to get out.

"Mind aside Venus before you shake her brains out." Igneel joked before the pink haired woman pouted and let go of Lucy and moved to the side. Lucy rubbed her head, feeling a sudden dizziness come over her. "It'll wear off soon." A deep voice said but Lucy had to blink a few times before her eyes finally focused on a very large and very muscular man standing over her. His skin was tanned and scarred from what she could only guess were from battles, due to his slightly armoured body. He wore a beige tunic, a silver breastplate over his chest. He wore baggy brown trousers with silver kneepads and boots. His eyes were a soft turquoise and his hair a light brown. He had his hair pulled back into a bun while sporting a lengthy beard. Despite his incredible size, he gave off a comforting aura; Lucy couldn't help but compare him to the phrase a 'friendly giant' which caused her to smile at him. "My name is Werner, I am the Dragon of War. It is a pleasure to finally meet Demeter's successor." He knelt down slightly and bowed his head in a greeting. Lucy returned the act with a smile. "The pleasure is all mine."

"My name is Raghnall, I am the Dragon of Knowledge." A much smaller, but still toned, man greeted her next. He had an olive skin tone which seemed a little too tan for his blonde curly hair that fell just above his ears. His eyes were a mellow orange and his features were rather chiselled yet his lips were hidden by a thick mustache. He wore a maroon short-sleeved shirt that hung loose on him but wore tighter black trousers that were held up by a golden belt. Contrasting to his heavy brown boots and gold cape, his glasses humbled his appearance. He had a straight posture that portrayed either a contrasting arrogance or a resemblance of regality. He knelt down to take Lucy's hand, which gave her the tell tale sign that it was the latter. She could feel her cheeks forming a blush at the charming act and gave him her hand still. He kissed her gloved hands and gave her smile. If she was still the same Lucy she was two years ago, she would have swooned at his feet but now she wasn't as affected. "It is an honour to meet someone of such beauty." She felt the blush grow warmer. "Thank you." She gave him a shy smile as he let go of her hand and walked to the side. "Can you go five minutes without flirting eh Reggie?" Metalicana rolled his eyes at him. To which the blonde just smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

A woman with a gloomy aura moved forward with slow steps. "I am Aysu; Dragon of Water." The woman had pale skin and bright blue hair that appeared as though it was a stream of flowing water running down her back and landing at the back of her knees. Her eyes were pure white, with very little indication of a pupil apart from a sliver of grey in the middle of her eyes. She wore a royal blue long-sleeved dress with a flowing skirt and baby blue ribbons tied at her waist, connecting streams of turquoise silk from her waist to her wrists which hung low in her resting position. She wore matching royal blue flat, exposing her legs through turquoise fishnet tights. Lucy couldn't tell if the light blue markings below her eyes were birthmarks or painted on. "It's nice to meet you as well." Lucy held out her hand and Aysu lazily gripped it, shaking hands with little effort. She dawdled towards the previous dragons, no change in the little emotion on her face.

"My name is Donar, I am the Dragon of Storms, Thunder and Lightening. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He was larger than Raghnall, roughly the same height as Metalicana. He had white hair that was spiked up and out in all directions, matching his yellow eyes. He wore a grey sleeveless shirt and black jeans, a silver chain linking the front and back pocket together. He wore brown leather shoes with metal lining, matching the brown leather jacket he had slung over his shoulder with silver zips. He reminded her so much of Laxus, in fact all of the dragons reminded her of someone from her former family. His hands were adorned with gold rings but they didn't appear to have any sentiment to him, just for show. "And to you as well." She smiled at him and he only waved at her before walking off, not shaking her hand like the others.

"And last but not least, my name is Gaia; Dragon of Earth and Nature, so lovely to meet you." The woman had a warm brown complexion and hazel eyes, her cheeks adorned with freckles. Her hair was primarily a moss green with streaks of brown. It was cut short with bangs, barely resting on her shoulders. She wore a brown tube top and matching brown skirt with two slits up to her outer thighs. She had a darker brown cloak draped behind her, tied with a ribbon at her chest with matching fingerless gloves that ended at her elbows. She wore no shoes or socks, walking around in her bare feet. Her body was also different, much like Melinda, but instead of scales, her body was covered in brown markings that looked like tiger stripes. Lucy shook her hand as Gaia gave her a motherly smile and walked to the side.

Whilst all of the dragons were drastically different, there were some features that they all shared; for example, fangs and pointed ears. Lucy turned and saw that all the dragons were now all lined up. "Now that you've met all your tutors, we can start training." Demeter said, walking up to her from behind and placing a nudging hand on her back, into the direction of the training grounds. "Now?" Lucy asked in shock. Demeter chuckled. "Yes, now. You didn't think I brought you out here just to say hello did you?" She laughed. They appeared to have entered a shield, Lucy could feel a force come over her as she walked through it. "You just felt the safety spell, don't worry about it." Igneel said with a smile, picking up on Lucy's discomfort.

They were now in the middle of the very large grounds and it was only then that Lucy realised that only Igneel and Demeter were stood with her, the others now gone. "Your first training session shall be with Igneel, after him you are allowed a short break before training with Aysu. After that it will be lunch, there I will explain your entire training schedule for your stay. If you have any questions, you can take them up with Igneel. I must go now but I shall see you at lunch, good luck Lucy, I know you'll do well." Demeter left with a smile and exited the grounds. Lucy could only nod, it was strange being told what to do after having so much freedom this past year. She would need to get used to it if she wanted to stay here.

"Right, since this is your first session, I'm gonna go easy on you. But just this once! I don't want you thinking I'm gonna be soft on you, though surely you'll come to find that I'll be your favourite teacher." He said with a cocky grin, making Lucy shake her head paired with a small smile. "So what will your sessions be?" Lucy asked him, eager to start on her training. He smirked at her and chuckled. "Well I'm gonna teach you Fire Dragon Slayer magic silly." He scoffed at the question. Lucy grew awkward, embarrassed at the seemingly obvious answer. Igneel smiled at her to ease her. "It's alright, this is a pretty weird situation anyways, I can't blame you." He shrugged and then started walking away. "Follow me."

Igneel lead her out of the training grounds, Lucy felt the spell go through her again with a shiver. "Where are we going? Aren't we supposed to train in the training grounds?" He rolled his eyes, his smile not leaving his face. "Demeter likes to use the training grounds but I prefer my own methods." Lucy narrowed her eyes, now cautious at where he was taking her. They had entered a thick forest and were quite far into the forest before Igneel finally stopped them and pointed towards some rock pools. "There." He said and walked towards them, Lucy trudging after him. "Why have you brought me here?" She asked and he sighed, still smiling. "Just watch." Lucy peered over, staring at the calm water below her. "It's quite pretty don't you think Igneel?" Lucy spoke softly, mesmerized by the plants at the bottom of the pools. When he didn't answer she moved back slightly. "Igneel?" She was about to turn around to find him but felt a hand push her forward and she fell into the rock pools.

She came back up from the water with a gasp, coughing up some water that managed to get into her mouth. She heard laughter above her and glared at Igneel. "You should have seen your face!" He was clutching his stomach and bent over, laughing to his hearts content. Her eyes softened, the scene reminding her very much so of Natsu. It amazed her how alike they were. She grinned, noticing he was now caught off guard and used her whip to wrap around his leg and pull him into the pool as well. He yelled in surprise as Lucy laughed at his misery. He surfaced with a smirk. "Touché." Lucy mirrored his smirk and brushed back her now wet hair with her hand. "Now, when does the real training begin?"

Igneel smirked at her and went back under the water. He quickly grabbed Lucy's foot and pulled her down into the pool. She inhaled as much air as she could before he dragged her down. She tried to kick him off her but it was no use in the water. He kept going deeper and it surprised Lucy that the pool wasn't shallow. She saw a red light at the bottom of the pool, Igneel pulled the pair of them towards it. He sped up, the light growing bigger and brighter the closer they got. Lucy held her arms around her and closed her eyes when it looked like they were going to hit the bottom.

She fell through the hole, landing on her bum and gasped, her lungs on fire from holding in her breath for so long. Igneel gave her his hand to help her up and she took it. "Your training starts now." He says with a smirk before looking behind her. She turned as well and her eyes widened at the sight. There was a giant waterfall but replaced with lava, surrounding lava pools everywhere. "Okay this makes more sense." Lucy said with awe. Igneel grinned and moved passed her, walking towards the lavafall. "Okay, first lesson; withstanding the heat." He smirked, Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you mean?" He pointed at the pool of lava. "Get in." Lucy's jaw dropped. "You want me to go into lava? Are you insane?" Igneel stared at her and kept pointing at the lava. "Maybe a little. I said get in." Lucy hesitated. "You either get in willingly or I push you in again." Lucy frowned at him but complied with a sigh.

She was just about to put her foot into the pool when Igneel stopped her. "Do you want to burn your clothes to shreds? Take them off." Lucy wanted to slap him. "You perv." She narrowed her eyes at him. He rolled his eyes with a smirk. "I wasn't gonna look but now..." Lucy went to punch him in the face but he blocked it, grabbing her wrist. "Just take off your clothes, I'll turn around." Lucy huffed as he let go of her and turned around, his arms folded against his chest. Lucy grumbled but did as he said, stripping off her clothes and leaving them in a pile on the rocks. She used her hands to cover herself. "Now what?" He rocked back on his heels. "Get in the pool. Don't worry, you won't die." Lucy frowned but decided to trust him. She closed her eyes tight as she put her foot into the pool, but found that the heat was bearable. She relaxed at that and emerged herself into the pool with a sigh. ' _It actually feels nice_.' Lucy thought before telling Igneel he could turn around.

"Good." He smiled before sitting down on the rocks. "Now, move the lava." Lucy tilted her head in confusion. "As in...?" She let him finish the question with an answer. "As in bend it. Make it go up or down or side to side. You need to familiarise yourself to the element if you want to master your magic." Lucy sighed, staring down at the orange substance. "Close your eyes, and imagine it moving to how you wish." Lucy followed his instructions. "Imagine your magic is being channelled into the lava and moving it." Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. She took in deep breath and imagined that the lava was in her control. It took her a few minutes of pushing herself before she could finally feel her magic leaving her body and she assumed it was being transported to the lava.

She pictured the lava swirling around her but she felt nothing. The image stayed in her head but nothing happened. Igneel frowned. "If you don't make anything happen in 5 seconds, I'm going to put your bra into the lava pool." Her eyes snapped open at his words. "You wouldn't dare!" She all but growled at him. "Try me." He retorted with a smirk, dangling her bra over the pool. "Get off that." She warned. "If you want to save it, make it happen. Five." He lowered it slightly. Lucy's glare deepened but she still was unable to make anything happen. "Four." Her bra was lowered again. She moved closer to Igneel but that only made him lower it further. "Three." She could feel her anger build up in her, her eye twitching. "Two, you really need to start trying sweetie." Igneel mocked with a grin, her bra almost touching the lava. Unknown to Lucy, the lava behind her began to rise and take form.

"One." Igneel had seen it but continued to taunt her, curious to see what form it would take. Lucy let out a yell, her anger spilling over as her raised her arms towards him. "Zero." It was then that she saw a lava creature looming over her and aimed at Igneel. It shot towards Igneel but he dodged it skillfully, watching the small lava dragon turn into a puddle next to him now that Lucy was no longer angry, her bra intact in Igneel's hands. "Impressive." He shot her a toothy grin, causing her to blush. "You just needed some encouragement." Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. "Can you let go of my bra now?" He smirked. "Nah I think I might keep hold of it." As he twirled it around his finger, Lucy shot balls of lava at him, seven at once. He wasn't able to dodge them all, his shirt burned now from the lava and caused him to fall back and drop her bra back onto the pile of clothes.

"Alright, I deserved that I guess." Lucy laughed at him, Igneel joined in. "That was pretty impressive for your first try, it took Natsu ten tries before he could even make the lava move into a ball." Lucy should have been hurt at the memory of Natsu but she wasn't. Instead, she felt proud that she was a much faster learner than the guy that called her weak. "Go again, you need to know the element in every form you can think of, it helps you gain better control with it later." Lucy nodded and closed her eyes again, pouring her magic into the lava around her.

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 **I'm gonna have to leave it at that folks. Also I have kinda bad news, I'm not gonna be writing for a couple weeks because I have an operation and I'll be recovering from that so there won't be any updates for about 3-4 weeks. Sorry guys :(**


	8. Chapter 8

**I have finally returned aha, but I'm afraid I won't be able to post as often as before, now it may only be a chapter a week rather than 3 or 4 :/. Thanks everyone for being so patient :) Excited for more of Lucy's training!**

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 **~Chapter Eight~**

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"How long have we been doing this?" Lucy asks, tilting her head to get rid of the pressure building up at the bottom of her neck. Igneel, who was now lying down on the side of the lava pools, just shrugged and hummed to himself. His head was tilted to face Lucy so he could watch her progress. "I have no idea." Lucy's face dropped into a frown. "You mean you haven't kept track?" She sighed and Igneel just grinned to himself, sitting up. "Eh, its just Aysu next, she'll understand." Lucy narrowed her eyes at him before moving towards the edge of the lava pool, she stared at him as she moved to get out. "Aren't you going to look away?" She frowned and Igneel rolled his eyes playfully. "Fine, if I have to." He got up and walked away, his back facing Lucy. "I should hit you for that, pervert." She glared at him.

Once Lucy was dressed again, she walked past Igneel. "So how do we get out of this place?" She asked, staring up at the waterfall coming from the hole they fell through. Igneel smirked and held out his hand for her. "Take a big breath." Lucy took his hand and inhaled as much as she could before he jumped up at an inhuman height, plunging them through the flowing water. They had to swim up to the top of the pool, Lucy's lungs felt sore at how long they had hold onto that one breath of oxygen. At the point of which her lungs felt as though they were being squeezed to breaking point, they made it to the top. She let out a loud gasp, greedily taking in large breaths. Igneel, however, seemed perfectly fine. "You'll get used to it." He gave her a toothy grin while slicking his now wet hair back.

A sharp sigh made Lucy's head snap to face behind her. "You're late." Aysu had a piercing gaze but it was not directed at Lucy, but Igneel. He only shrugged at her harsh look. "Come on, it's only a few minutes." He tried to smile his way out of her anger as both he and Lucy climbed out of the pool. "A few minutes? Try an hour." She huffs, crossing her arms. Igneel smirks at her. "Looks like you'll have to do overtime on your first day." Lucy sighs but nods at Aysu. "Thanks a lot Igneel." She pauses for a moment. She hadn't said something so playful in such a long time that even though it was like a second nature to her, it seemed foreign now. "You're welcome." He laughs before turning to walk away. "Well, she's in your hands now, try not to break her." His chuckle continues as he walks from sight.

Aysu turns to Lucy with a half smile. "I know it's not your fault you're late but you'll still have to make up for it." Lucy smiles back. "That's fine." Aysu nods before leading the pair a little further into the forest towards a large rushing waterfall. The water had a slight purple hue to it, giving it a magical feeling. In fact, the whole land seemed like something out of a fairytale to Lucy. "Since you're already wet from the pools, you won't mind sitting at the bottom of the waterfall." Lucy looked at her with wide eyes. "At the bottom? But-" Aysu narrowed her eyes. "Did I stutter?" Lucy shut up. She knew that to learn at the quickest rate, she would have to follow everything that they told her to do. She nodded and stepped into the still water at the edge before walking towards the large wall of heavy water. She inhaled a large breath before sitting down.

The water felt cold and hard against her back before she placed her head underneath the harsh current. She immediately found it very difficult to stay still under the weight of the water and was pushed onto her back and couldn't get back up. Aysu sighed, unfolding her arms before walking into the water and towards Lucy. She grabbed the blonde's arm and pulled her back up with care. Lucy coughed out the water that filled in her mouth, looking up at Aysu with half closed eyes and an embarrassed frown. "You need to remain calm. Channel all of your energy and strength to your core, keep yourself centered." Lucy nodded but the misbalance of her head caused her to fall forward this time.

Aysu caught her and pushed her back in the current. "Focus! In cases of learning quickly, it's easier to tie powers or elements to emotions. In the case of water, we tie it to calmness. You need to be calm and balanced. This lesson is meditation." Lucy coughed out some more water with heavy breaths. "Okay." She choked out, attempting to straighten her back and align herself with the waterfall. "Now close your eyes." Aysu instructed. Lucy did so but just as her eyes closed, her body swayed ever so slightly and caused her to buckle under the weight yet again.

The time that Aysu had left with Lucy was spent repeating the same pattern of Lucy losing balance and Aysu catching her and pushing her back in place. There were some points that it felt like Lucy would be able to keep her balance but it was a short lived possibility. Aysu seemed to be impressed that Lucy hadn't let her emotions get the best of her. After what seemed to Lucy like the millionth time she had lost her balance to the current, Aysu pulled her back up and out of the waterfall. "Our lesson is over." Lucy knew she should be happy that she has a break but she felt disheartened that she wasn't even able to maintain a steady balance once. Aysu helped Lucy up to her feet, the blonde tired from the heavy weight of her soaked clothes.

Aysu walked the two of them back to the castle, seemingly not caring about the extra weight Lucy had to carry with her. ' _Perhaps it's strength training?_ ' Lucy thought as she trudged along behind Aysu. They had only been walking for minutes, but it felt like hours to Lucy; she wasn't used to walking around drenched from head to toe. Much to her ease, they were at the castle gates within another few minutes. Lucy placed her foot ever so slightly in the direction of her bedroom when Aysu turned around. "There is no time. We need to head straight to the others." Lucy sighed internally but followed Aysu to the same room they were in at the morning. She could hear the muttering of conversation and a few hearty laughs from who she suspected was Igneel, Werner and Metalicana.

The doors were already held open for them by two butlers dressed in black, who were waiting for any orders, at the entrance of the room. "Speak of the devil and it will appear." Metalicana smirked as he saw Lucy. Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you say about me?" Metalicana giggled at her defensiveness. "Nothing actually, it was Igneel." Her eyes snap to Igneel. He could sense she was on edge so he tread lightly. " I was just bragging how great you were on your first lesson. Very few hold potential of moving lava in their first time." Lucy softened her expression and gave him an apologetic smile. "Oh... thank you." Igneel grinned at her before standing to embrace her in a hug.

Lucy gave him a look. "Hey, do you want to stay in wet clothes?" He offered again and Lucy frowned in hesitation before letting him place his arms around her, her arms falling by her side. It wasn't long before she felt the cold water evaporate from her clothes and body, warming her up immediately. He let her go once she was dry and sat back down. "Thanks." She said quickly before sitting down beside Demeter and Grandine yet again. "How were your sessions, Lucy?" Demeter asked in a genuine tone. Lucy gave her a small smile. "They were fine." Demeter nodded. She knew Lucy needed time before she could adjust, it would be foolish of her to expect Lucy to be more open and willing.

"Eat up Lucy, you're training with me next." Demeter gave her an encouraging smile and gestured to Lucy's plate. Lucy nodded and began filling her plate up with food. She was able to eat a lot more than usual, practically wolfing down the food. Her few hours training had really tired her out. Grandine saw Lucy's slightly poor table manners out of the corner of her eye and frowned. "You've had one lesson with Igneel and you already have his table manners." She shook her head with a smile. "Sorry." Lucy spoke between her mouthfuls. "Don't be, you need your energy kid." Donar smirked, his body slouched against a chair, his feet kicked up against the table. She gave him a little smile back.

Demeter sighed at Lucy, clearly not impressed with her behaviour. "We'll need to work on your etiquette but not now. Now, you need to regain energy. Your lessons with me require the majority of your energy and focus." Lucy nodded, attempting to slow down her chewing. Once she was finished, Demeter abruptly stood up, excusing them both from the table. "We shall return in time for supper." Demeter said before Lucy followed her out of the room and to Lucy's bedroom. "First things first. Your clothes." Demeter opened up her bedroom and walked towards her wardrobe. "You'll need to start wearing clothes more suitable." Lucy frowned as she looked down at herself. ' _What's wrong with this?_ ' She questioned in her head. Demeter rummaged through her racks before picking out a purple and gold kimono and gold silk shoes. "Put these on." She handed them to Lucy before gently nudging her into the wardrobe and shutting the door behind her.

Lucy huffed at Demeter's lacking of approval at her clothing style but did as she was told and changed. "Are you dressed?" Demeter asked through the door and Lucy replied with a yes. Demeter opened the door and guided Lucy towards the end of the wardrobe where hair accessories and ribbons were and picked out a large gold ribbon which Demeter skillfully tied around Lucy's waist. "There. Now you are wearing appropriate attire." Lucy looked at herself in the mirror. Though she had to admit she thought she looked very pretty and regal, she failed to see how this was more practical. "How-" Demeter seemed to have read her mind and answered her question before she could ask it. "You will be learning ancient arts and so you need to wear more traditional clothing. I would ask you to lose the eyepatch but I think you aren't ready to let go of your 'shield' just yet."

Lucy frowned at her words and was about to ask more questions. "There's no more time for talking, pick up your keys and follow me please." Demeter lead them out of the castle and back into the training grounds. "I hope you are prepared. Your lessons with me are your most important and most taxing." Lucy frowned yet again. She had come to realise that she didn't know what element Demeter used. "What exactly is your element, Demeter?" Demeter smiled at the question and stretched out her arms. A soft golden glow overtook her as she transformed into her dragon form. "I am Demeter; the Celestial Dragon." Lucy felt a sudden connection to Demeter and felt an even larger sense of eagerness for her training.

Back in Fairy Tail, she always felt that her magic was weaker than the others previous from her training alone. Though she had grown stronger in her time alone, she still felt that she wouldn't last in a battle between Natsu or even Grey and certainly not Erza. But now, Demeter was her key to increasing her strength beyond her ex guildmate's abilities.

Demeter smirked at Lucy's awe-stricken silence and sat down in front of her pupil. "Once you are ready, I would like you to summon a spirit of your choosing." Her words breaking the silence brought Lucy out of her daze and she nodded in obedience. She took out her key ring from her belt and flicked through her keys. Her eyes landed immediately on Loki's. He was probably worried sick about her unexpected disappearance, and she was sure that Vulpecula telling him about a dragon would only make him worry tenfold. She unhooked his key and placed it before her. "Gate of Leo the Lion; I summon thee!" A flash of gold burst from the key as a figure appeared beside Lucy.

Within seconds, she felt his embrace suffocate her. "Do you have no idea how worried I was?! You could have died! I wasn't able to force open my gate to come to your rescue." Lucy could see the raw emotion in his eyes and she hugged him tightly. "I was fine really! I have very exciting news but I don't think now is the time to share it." Lucy pulled away from him so that their interaction wouldn't seem rude and ignorant to Demeter, but he clung to her. "Loki." She sighed, pushing him away much to his dismay. "I'm in the middle of a lesson." She said, her eye flickering to Demeter and back to Loki. He turned and was beyond shocked to see a dragon before him. "What-" He was cut off from Demeter. "Young man, I am the Celestial Dragon and I am going to teach your master to become an elemental dragon slayer, but most importantly, she will become the only celestial dragon slayer. She will remain in the dragon realm for as long as it takes for her to master her magic and then some. She will require you and your peer's abilities to help her increase her focus and progress in her training. I hope that answers your questions." Loki could feel his jaw drop from the sudden information.

His head slowly started to nod as he pieced things together in his head. "I think so..." He spoke slowly, still taking time to wrap his head around the situation. He had gone from being overwhelmed with stress and worry for his master to finding out that Lucy would become one of the most powerful mages in history. "Isn't this great Loki?" Lucy smiled at him, trying to break his awkwardness. It worked. He snapped his mouth shut and nodded at Lucy with a large grin. "Of course it is. You'll be receiving the training you dreamed of and we get to help our princess out." Lucy sighed at the nickname and shook her head. "Just Lucy is fine." She muttered. Demeter stopped the interaction. "Loki, Lucy picked you to summon for her first lesson, I hope you wont be a distraction for her." She warned in a stern voice. Loki shook his head, pulling a serious face. "Of course not. I wouldn't stand in the way of Lucy's training." Demeter nodded her head with a slight smile. "Good."

"Our first lesson is going to be about tying yourself to your spirits in a way that is called Star Dress. This is a difficult thing to do for a first lesson but I should warn you that it only gets harder from here." Lucy nodded in understanding. "I want you to hold one end of Loki's key whilst Loki is holding the other." The pair did as they were instructed and stood waiting for another command. "Now, Loki, I want you to channel a small amount of your magic through the key to Lucy. Lucy, I want you to close your eyes and feel Loki's magic enter your system through the key. Can you feel it?" She asked in a soothing voice, knowing that any celestial technique required a lot of focus and so she should speak in a calm tone. Lucy nodded.

"Good. Now I want you to imagine that his magic is flowing through your whole body. It's causing you to change and tap into his magic and abilities. Imagine that you can feel his magic at your feet and in your hands." Lucy tried her best to comply but she found it much to difficult to regain the level of focus and serenity needed to achieve any progress. She didn't know what the outcome of this was but with Demeter's constant demand of repeating, she could tell that she wasn't reaching her goal. She tried to clear her mind enough to focus on expanding Loki's minimal amount of magic across her body but her mind was still a frenzy of anger and sadness.

Lucy didn't keep track of how many times she heard Demeter demand she 'repeat' or how many times she had failed to please Demeter with her failure, so she hadn't realised that the day had come to an end by now. She was pulled out of her mind by the hooting of owls, a noise only occurring at night. Her eyes opened to look at the now black sky. "It's night time." She spoke softly. Demeter nodded, now returned in her human form. Lucy turned her head to face Loki but found he wasn't there. "When did he leave? I could still feel his magic." She frowned, placing her arm down. "Only a few minutes ago, I could see he was losing too much energy so I sent him back. You were concentrating too hard to notice. Though he was still able to channel magic to you through his key from the Spirit Realm." Lucy nodded solemnly.

Demeter sighed and patted her back in a motherly fashion. "Don't be disheartened, it's only your first lesson. You have plenty of time to improve yet." Lucy nodded, not saying anything. Demeter removed her hand and lead them both out of the training grounds. "It is time for supper but I believe you are far too tired to attend. Go and rest. You have another big day tomorrow." She smiled and gestured towards the stairs. Lucy rubbed the back of her neck and nodded again. "Alright." Demeter nodded back. "Goodnight, Lucy." "Goodnight, Demeter."

Lucy dawdled to her room, finally feeling the weight of her eyelids trying to force themselves shut. She closed her door behind her and was much to tired to even attempt to shower or bathe so she just decided to take off her kimono, keys and shoes, changing into night robes from her wardrobe before sinking down underneath her covers. Before she fell asleep, she reflected on the events of that day. She thought that everything would go smoothly and she would make quick progress after her lesson with Igneel but after her embarrassing failures in both Aysu and Demeter's lessons, she felt that she would have to learn to be more patient with her training after all. She hoped that she would be more successful tomorrow.

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 **This took a lot longer than expected, I need to get back into the flow of writing after not for so long :/ again, thank you for being so patient, im sorry for the long wait but recovery took longer than I expected. I'll try to have another chapter out by the end of next week :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yeah so I took a break for a few months but I'm back now. Hopefully, I'll keep bringing out a chapter every week since I have nothing else to do this summer XD. Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoy :D**

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 **~Chapter Nine~**

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Lucy stirred awake, her shoulders sore from yesterday's training with Aysu. She lay still on her back as she opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. She had been so busy yesterday that she hadn't even had the time to dwell on the pain she still possessed. Her mind wandered back to her former guild's neglection followed by their harsh words and hateful looks. She wanted to hate them. Truly, she did, but she just didn't have it in her heart. They had so many great memories with each other, ones that shaped her into a better Lucy. She just couldn't let go of those precious memories.

Whilst she couldn't hate them, she was certainly disappointed and hurt by them. She just couldn't believe that a guild who preaches so much about family would be so hideous towards a member of their own. Of course, now she was at a conflict; Igneel and Grandine refuse to believe the behaviour of their successors was their own. It made Lucy believe that, perhaps, there was something she had missed.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the same aggressive banging as yesterday. "Rise and shine little girl!" Metalicana's gruff voice was slightly muffled by the door. Lucy rolled her eyes at the nickname and pushed herself up out of bed. "Alright, I'm up." Metalicana gave her another forty minutes to get dressed before leaving. Lucy did the same routine as yesterday before making her way over to her closet. Remembering Demeter's preference of traditional clothing, Lucy dressed herself in a red kimono that was patterned with pink flowers across the sleeves and waist. She matched it with red flat shoes before tying her belt around her waist, clipping on her keys, and placing her eyepatch over her eye.

She stepped out of the closet to be greeted by the sight of Metalicana stood in the middle of her room, his arms folded against his chest. He had a smirk plastered on his face. "You're lucky I didn't drag you out of there, dressed or not." He chuckled afterwards. Lucy scoffed at his remark and rolled her eyes at him. In earlier years, she would have called him a pervert or slapped him, but now she just didn't put the effort in, opting to just show her disgust through her face. "Come on, everyone's waiting for you." He walked out of the room and Lucy followed him, walking a step behind him all the way to the dining room.

"Good morning Lucy." Grandine smiled at the blonde, the first to notice her walk in the room. "Hi Lucy, how did your training go yesterday?" Venus asked with a sweet smile stretched her cheeks. "It was good." Lucy gave a small smile back. It would take her some time before she truly opened up and trusted everyone, so her answers were short for now. "Good morning Lucy, today you will be training with Grandine, Gaia and myself. You will rotate between your mentors throughout the week but you'll be training with me almost every day." Lucy nodded in response. "That sounds good." Demeter wasn't pleased with the lack of enthusiasm but she understood that adjusting would be hard for Lucy.

Once Lucy was finished with her breakfast, she followed Grandine out to the training grounds. "Have you seen Wendy's magic before?" Grandine asked Lucy as she stood facing her in the middle of the grounds. "Yes, she's quite strong for her age. Stronger than me. She fitted in right away at Fairy Tail." Lucy gave a sad smile, not unnoticed by Grandine. "You remind me of her." Lucy looked at her with confusion. She always thought of Wendy as a little sister figure but she didn't think they were alike. "She always denied her talents too. You're stronger than you know Lucy." Grandine smiled at her with warmth. Lucy mirrored her smile, silently thanking her for the compliment.

Grandine's lesson had the same concept as the previous teachings; studying the element. Grandine produced strong winds in Lucy's direction, which she had to attempt to steer the direction of. At first they started knocking her back and off her feet, disheartening her efforts. After one particularly strong wind, Lucy was flung to the other side of the grounds, landing on her side. Lucy ignored the pain, driven by her anger and frustration to stand back up. "This is useless! I'm hopeless. The only thing I was good at was fire!" Grandine sighed, walking towards Lucy. "You're not hopeless, you've only just started." Lucy stared at the floor, her arms crossed over her chest as Grandine was now stood next to her.

"You'll get better in time, don't worry." Lucy sighed heavily, not fully satisfied with her advice. Grandine placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you really want to excel, you need to clear your mind and your feelings. If you are at peace then, and only then, can you be at your full potential." Lucy finally looked up at Grandine, half a smile pulling at her cheeks. "I understand." Grandine patted her shoulder. "Good, now, lets try again shall we?"

Lucy stood back to her position, as did Grandine. She drew out a long breath as she thought over her mentor's words. She knew she harbored an overwhelming amount of sadness and loss that was hard to let go of. She wasn't ready to forgive them yet, but she wanted to learn more. She knew that she would have to make peace with the past in order to succeed in her future. It wouldn't happen overnight, but she thought that maybe if she let go of one thought at a time, then that would still count for something.

Her eyes were clenched shut in concentration, her mind thinking back to her ex guild and it's members. She thought she could start by forgiving one person at a time. She thought it was fitting to forgive Wendy now, since she was training with her adoptive mother. After all, she didn't really think that Wendy had a big role in her misfortune, she was just following the crowd. A small smile crept onto her face. _Yes, I forgive you Wendy, it wasn't your fault._

When she opened her eyes, she saw the gust of wind Grandine was aiming at her. She nodded as a signal for her to release it and prepared herself for the impact of the wind. She felt as though a small weight had just been lifted from her and she felt lighter. She reached out her left arm towards the attack, centering her hand towards the inside of the whirlwind. She braced herself for the impact, but found that the air simply pushed her back a little as it began to wrap around her arm, swirling its way across her shoulders before wrapping around her right arm. The air felt soft and gentle around her skin, it gave her a calmness that she had all but forgotten. Lucy couldn't express with words how proud she was of herself. Not distracting herself, she pointed the wind back towards Grandine, who also had a beaming grin on her face.

"Well done Lucy! Brilliant!" Grandine applauded her student as the winds made their way back to her. She simply dismissed them, making the air disperse out. Lucy jogged over to Grandine, clasping her hands together with a smile. "Thank you." Grandine returned the smile. Though she had only known Lucy for two days, she saw Wendy in her. She had felt like she was missing a piece of herself ever since she left Wendy and while she knew it was selfish, she hoped that soon Lucy would help replace that hole in her heart. "Let's go again, I don't want it to be a fluke." Grandine was disappointed at the lack of affection, but she took her stance again and repeated the simple air attack.

Lucy was able to achieve the same result, only this time making the whirlwind swirl around her body before sending it back to Grandine. "You're doing great. Let's see how well you handle this." Grandine praised Lucy as she sent a more chaotic storm in Lucy's direction. The power of the attack managed to push Lucy back slightly, but she pulled through. This time, instead of just controlling the direction of the wind, she was able to change the storm into a calm breeze before making it disperse. Grandine was shocked at the sudden rate of improvement after the last few hours being spent with such little progress. "That was very impressive considering your struggle earlier." Lucy agreed with her, very pleased with herself. "All thanks to you." Grandine fawned at Lucy. "Oh you're so sweet."

The pair of them were too busy discussing her progress to notice that Gaia had walked towards them. "I hope you're ready Lucy." Her soft voice pulled them out of conversation. "I am." Lucy smiled, rolling her shoulders. "I'll see you at dinner Lucy." Lucy nodded in response as the white haired woman walked off. "If you're smart, you can guess what training you'll be doing with me today." Gaia smiled softly, leading Lucy out of the training grounds. "I'm assuming that it'll be an introduction to your element?" Gaia nodded her head. "Well done, you've paid attention." Gaia lead Lucy into the forest, towards an open clearing. "We'll start simple for your first lesson; you'll be attempting to utilize the earth and plants, and you'll be learning how to communicate with animals."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the last part. Communicating with animals? Had she walked into a fairytale? "You mean like singing birds and sewing mice?" Lucy mocked the situation and received a stern yet offended look from the brunette. "No. You'll learn to respect nature and all it's creations. You'll work with it, not have it work for you." Lucy lowered her gaze, feeling guilty for not taking the opportunity seriously. "We're here." Gaia stood still in the middle of the huge clearing she had picked out. "First things first; getting accustomed to nature."

Gaia looked at Lucy expectantly. Lucy threw back a confused expression. "Kneel by the tree." Lucy did as told and sat down at the roots of the tree, eager to know what she'd be taught. Gaia knelt down next to her. "Do you see that broken branch up there?" Gaia pointed to the half snapped branch just above their heads. "I want you to fix it." Lucy turned to Gaia with more confusion. "How?" Gaia placed her hand by the roots of the tree and gestured for Lucy to do the same. "I want you to channel your magic into the tree, to feel it's pain and heal it." Lucy sighed, nodding her head in understanding. She closed her eyes and pushed out a flow of her magic through her palm and sent it into the roots of the tree.

Her hand glowed a bright yellow as she gave her magic to the tree, finding the broken point. As the bark began to absorb her magic, her hand changed from a yellow to a pink glow, mimicking the colour of blossoms. Gaia silently cheered on Lucy as the pair of them heard a distant crackling. Lucy looked up to see each splinter of wood reconnect to the trunk. The sight made her grin. "That's great Lucy." The blonde thanked Gaia as the tree finished restoring the broken branch, leaves beginning to grow from it. "You can let go now." Lucy sighed in satisfaction as she pulled her hand away from the roots.

"Your lessons with me should be as easy as this one. Nature magic isn't hard to teach at all." Lucy was relieved to hear that. "Nature magic cannot be taught easily to anyone without good intentions, it defeats its creation. As long as you have a good heart, this should be a breeze." Gaia smiled, standing up from the ground.

* * *

Lucy walked into the dinning room with Gaia, they had just finished her first lesson. She had instructed Lucy to channel magic into the ground to create fast blooming flowers before teaching her how to call for animals. Whilst Gaia summoned a majestic deer, all Lucy received was a snail. Gaia told her not to stress over her lessons as everything would soon come naturally to her, it just took practice.

"Hey Lucy, how were your lessons with Grandine and Gaia?" Venus piped up with a large smile. "They were great, I'm excited to learn more." Igneel grinned at her answer. "That's what we like to hear." He encouraged her with a wink. "Who's your favourite so far?" Venus asked another question. "I don't know, I don't have a favourite." Lucy shrugged with a modest smile. Igneel scoffed. "She's just saying that to be nice. I'm her favourite obviously." Metalicana shook her head. "Shut up Flamebrain, you're delusional." Igneel glared at the man sitting next to him, fists clenched. "Oh yeah, Iron Princess?" Metalicana squinted at the fire dragon. "What did you call me!?" The two of them butted heads with sneers.

"Don't you dare." Demeter warned the pair of immature males. "I will not have the dinning room turned into an arena for your pathetic quarrels." She scolded them with darted eyes, making them stop immediately. Lucy smiled at the dynamic between them, reminding her so much of Natsu, Gajeel and Erza. After her advice from Grandine, she decided that the way forward would be to let go of all her anger and sadness. She realised it was toxic to focus on all of the bad memories and it would only help her to put the past behind her. This opportunity was far too important and rare to ruin with her past. She couldn't let herself get in the way of her future.

Lucy had soon finished eating, eager for her lesson with Demeter. "Are you finished?" Demeter asked, already standing up out of her seat. Lucy stood up, nodding her head. Demeter smiled at her eagerness and lead her back to the training grounds. "We'll be continuing our lesson from yesterday. I have a feeling you've made fast improvement." Lucy gave a determined grin. Demeter mirrored it, pleased to notice her change in enthusiasm. "Please summon Loke." Lucy pulled off Loke's key and used her magic to bring forth the spirit.

"Hello Princess." Loke bowed. Lucy rolled her eyes at the nickname. "Loke please just call me Lucy." He gave a smirk, one that she knew meant he would still call her by the obnoxious nickname. "Please take the same position as yesterday." They obeyed and stood next to each other, both holding either end of Loke's key. "Begin." She instructed and Lucy closed her eyes, emptying her mind to put more focus on Loke's magic. This time, his magic felt a lot stronger. She clenched her eyes tight to keep still, the surge of magic flooding her with adrenaline. Demeter knew it was working as she saw it was increasingly harder for Lucy to keep still.

Lucy felt his magic flow throughout her entire body. She felt stronger. It wasn't long before his magic had made its way around her entire body, not realising the change it had on her. "Well done Lucy. Open your eyes." Loke was impressed at the sight before him. "You look amazing." He gawked at his master, letting go of his key. Lucy gasped as she looked down at herself. "What just happened?"

Lucy was now dressed in a black evening dress. It had a ribbon decorated corset and a long slit up the side of her left leg, plain black heels to match the beautiful dress. She had Loke's sign stamped by her right collarbone and a black ruffled collar around her neck. There were black ruffled sleeves to match the collar and the hem of the dress. Her hair now reached down by her lower back and was a strawberry blonde colour, a similar shade to Loki's. It was spiked and gave the illusion of a lion's mane. There was a black ribbon fashioned into a intricate flower, it was placed in front of one of her cat ears poking out from the sides of her head. She also gained a lion's tail, which was gently swinging behind her. To complete the whole transformation, her nails had grown longer into claws and her teeth had grown into fangs. Her eyepatch had been removed, revealing her mismatched and scarred eye.

"You completed a Star Dress transformation." Demeter answered with a smile. Lucy laughed from shock. She couldn't believe it. "Wow." She was still admiring her transformation, as was Loke. "Yes, it is incredible. But that's not all Star Dress does." Lucy looked at her with curiosity. "You can also use Loke's attacks and defences while in Leo Star Dress." Loke and Lucy grinned with excitement. "You'll be able to use Regulus and Telepathy. And the same effects apply for your other spirits. Star Dress can only be obtained from keys that you have. You need the spirit to channel their magic into you for the first transformation before you can transform through calling it out." Lucy was really excited by all of this information, wanting to test out her new power.

Demeter saw Lucy's excitement and smiled. "I can tell you want to try out your new powers, but I want you to go through each of your spirits Star Dress first. You'll be given some time each week to train with your spirits, they will teach you how to use their powers." Lucy nodded in understanding, slightly disappointed that she wasn't able to practice now, but was equally happy to see what her other transformations would look like.

Time flew by as Lucy summoned spirit after spirit, performing a Star Dress for each of her spirits, she was able to perform them on her Gold Keys and her two newest keys. Her Capricorn Star Dress was composed of a long black and purple dress with two large slits, revealing both of her legs. There were buckled straps wrapped around her neck and waist, connecting down the middle of her chest. Her black sleeves also had a buckled strap around the top and bottom, her thigh high boots, which were half white and half black, were also accessorised with buckled straps at the top. She had sunglasses shielding her eyes and goat horns sticking out from her head along with a goat's tail. Her hair was white and elongated into two thick braids tied with black ribbons into bows. Capricorn's sign was stamped at the top of her left thigh.

Her Aquarius Star Dress was a yellow bikini top with a turquoise pattern similar to Aquarius' sign. She had a matching turquoise wrap skirt with a yellow hem and bow at the side of the skirt. Her sleeves were the same as her skirt. She wore turquoise sandals with ribbons crossed around her calves and turquoise ribbons in her two small ponytails that were at the back of her head. Her hair was a little longer than her original hair and styled into waves. Aquarius' sign was stamped across the top of her chest.

Her Aries Star Dress mainly looked and felt like she was wearing pink clouds as a dress. It was striped with a pastel pink and a white fluffy material and reached a few inches above her knees. Her sleeves were the same shade of pink, but made of a more tight fabric, and were cuffed with the white fluffy material. She had a white fluffy collar around her to match the dress. She had striped tights with the same pink and white colours. On her feet were pink booties with the pink fluff around the top. She had curled ram horns out either side of her head and her hair was now a light pink, a few shades darker than her dress. Her hair was in tight curls and sat on the top of her shoulders. Aries' sign was stamped on the top of her left shoulder.

Her Taurus Star Dress was another bikini top with a cow print, as were her sleeves. She had brown leather trousers that were full length on her left leg and shorts on her right leg. They were held up with a red leather belt with a gold buckle. Her belt watched her red leather gloves and collar with a gold cowbell. She wore brown leather boots with Taurus' sign printed in gold across the top of the boots. There was a bull's tail growing from her lower back and bull horns coming out of her head and her hair was still blonde and put into two buns at the back of her head. Taurus' sign was stamped on her right thigh.

Her Gemini Star Dress was a slightly long, collared shirt and trousers that joined to her shoes. The whole outfit was spilt in two, down the middle, each side swapping from white to a light blue. There was a gold belt around her waist and a gap in the front of the shirt that was hemmed with gold thread. Her left sleeve was blue with a gold hem and her right sleeve was white with a gold hem. On her head was a large, half white and half blue headpiece that was outlined with gold ribbon. Her hair was split with a middle parting and pulled into two low ponytails that reached her hips. The right side of her hair was blue and the left side was white. Gemini's sign was stamped on her left cheek.

Her Cancer Star Dress was an emerald kimono that had an open back and had two slits. There was a large bow at the back of the kimono in the same colour. Her sleeves were also emerald and were very loose by her wrists. She wore black sandals with white thigh high socks. Both her socks and sleeves were tied with red ribbon at the top, matching her thick red satin belt around her waist. She had a string necklace full of seashells that hung loosely around her neck. Her hair was now an ombré of red and orange and was kept in her choppy bob and had claw hair clips tucked into the front of her hair. Cancer's sign was stamped on her left rib.

Her Virgo Star Dress was a black and white maid's outfit with white thigh high socks and black small heeled shoes. She had a white frilled collar around her neck and a matching headband with two black ribbons on either side and her hair was longer so it could be pulled back into a tight low bun. Virgo's sign was stamped on her right upper arm. Lucy thought that this Star Dress wasn't as exciting as the others but kind of already expected it not to be since Virgo _was_ a maid. Virgo's sign was stamped on her right shoulder.

Her Scorpio Star Dress was more armoured; her shirt felt more like a red and orange stripped leather breastplate with a high collar. Both her sleeves and trousers were a dark brown leather with grey knee, calf and elbow protectors. She had a large scorpion tail that was the same shade of red as her shirt. She also had a red headband around the front of her head, two bangs poking out from behind it. Her hair was now black with the sides shaved and pulled back into one tight, high ponytail that reached her thighs. Scorpio's sign was stitched into her headband with gold thread. Scorpio's sign was stamped on top of her right breast.

Her Sagittarius Star Dress was a bright green, low cut leotard that flared out at her hips. Her sleeves were sewed into fingerless gloves, covering her whole arm. Her boots were reached her thighs but had a similar 'v' cut in the front of the boots to her leotard. Both her leotard and boots had a gold intricate pattern sewn into them. She had a gold ribbon tied around her neck and around her short ponytail. Sagittarius' sign was stamped at the top of her right thigh.

Her Falling Eagle Star Dress was a white leotard with a frilled tutu overlaying it. There were gold feathers around the sweetheart neckline of the leotard before connecting to her sleeves which were made of white silk and hung loose on her arms. She had silver armour boots that reached up to her knees, inches below the two golden garters on her thighs. Her hair had changed to a bright gold and white ombré which was tied back into a neat braided bun. There were a few golden feathers weaved in between the braid. The main feature of her Star Dress was the giant white and gold wings grown out of her back. Lyra's sign was stamped in between her shoulder blades.

Her Little Fox Star Dress was a plain cream coloured kimono with ruby stripes down the sleeves and the sides of her waist. The kimono ended at her knees where it met her bare skin. She had matching cream coloured silk flats on her feet with bright blue anklets hugging her skin tight. Her hair was a scarlet red and spiked out and messy at the front while the back of her hair was pulled into two large square-like buns at the sides of her head. Like Loke's Star Dress, she had fox ears atop her head, a long thick red tail and claws. Vulpecula's sign was stamped on her right cheek.

Lucy had returned to her original state as she sent Vulpecula back to the Spirit Realm. "You've done exceptionally well today Lucy. You must be proud of yourself. I am." Demeter gave her a motherly smile with her praise. Lucy thanked her and agreed. "I am proud. I can't wait to learn more but I'm really tired right now." Demeter kept her smile. "Of course, you've had a long day of practice. I'll see you in the morning Lucy." Demeter spoke as she walked Lucy back to the castle and left her as they went their separate ways.

Lucy all but leapt onto her bed, feeling so drained from today that she needed sleep right that second or she'd pass out anyways. She messily dumped all of her stuff on the floor next to her before tucking herself into her sheets. It felt as though she passed out as soon as her head hit her pillow.

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 **Not the best chapter but I hope it's length can make up for me being away for so long. (I changed up the Star Dress a bit btw) I know the 'epiphany' was kinda cringe but I'm telling you I changed it like ten times and that's the best I could come up with. Next chapter should be up shortly tho :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm not gonna go into too much detail with ALL of her training so I'll be skipping ahead to show progress through this chapter and the next one, but hopefully she'll be done training after the next chapter :) (Also I am well aware that the training I gave Lucy is not original, I did take inspiration from other fanfics (if I could remember what they were called I would tell you but I cant :( all I know is that they were great and the authors were very talented).**

* * *

 **~Chapter 10~**

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It had been a few months in the Dragon Realm now and there was already a big change in Lucy, for the better. Everyone could see it and so could Lucy. She had grown accustomed to her packed schedule and even spent her little free time practicing and studying with Crux. She was being taught so much at once that she really needed to use all her time to keep on top of things. Even more so now that her training was more advanced. The more she learnt, the more she needed to expand her magic capacity. She had Gaia's help with that; she helped Lucy tap into her 'internal magic source' (as Gaia called it) and push her limits to grow.

Lucy had opened up more to everyone, forming a bond with everyone. She felt welcome and she knew that people like them weren't going to come by her very often. She grew the closest to Demeter. She felt like a mother to her and she felt a need to know more about her than anyone else, she was the Celestial Dragon after all. She almost wanted to be the strongest in Celestial powers, proving to her ex guild that she could be strong on that alone. While she had trained her mind to forgive everyone from Fairy Tail, she still wanted to make them eat their words.

"C'mon Girlie! You know the drill!" Metalicana was like her own alarm clock now, making a habit of waking her up at 6am sharp and giving her only 40 minutes to get dressed for the day. Every morning he would call her a silly nickname. She didn't like them, but she could tolerate them. She got up out of bed, showered and made her way over to her closet to pick out her clothes for the day.

While Demeter preferred traditional clothing, Lucy soon realised that she would need to wear more flexible clothing. She returned to a more modern style, picking out dark grey sweats and a black tank top with brown combat boots. She put on her eye patch and belt and attached her keys before giving her hair a quick brush. She made her way out of her room and was met with Metalicana leaning against the wall opposite her door. "Good morning." She smiled at him. "Mornin'." He grinned, pushing himself off the wall with his elbows to walk with her.

"How you feelin' today?" He asked, turning his head down to look at her. "I'm good, ready for more training." She smiled back at him. One thing she, and all of her spirits, noticed was that this whole experience helped her regain some of her happiness back. She wasn't back to her overly happy nature and she doubted she could ever go back to that. She had learnt so much about composure and control with the short time she was here. "Good, you're with Venus, Donar and Raghnall today aint ya?" Lucy nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm learning Emotion Magic with Venus, and with Raghnall I'm learning about Runes." Metalicana gave a half smirk. "Sounds good."

The pair were now at the dining room, walking in side by side. "Good morning Lucy!" Venus gave a sweet smile before suffocating the blonde with a tight hug. "Let go of her V, you'll choke her to death." Datura scolded the pink haired woman and made her let go. Lucy still had to get used to her bear hugs. "Good morning Venus." Lucy all but choked out, catching her breath. The second Lucy had opened up, even the slightest, to her new family, Venus took it as a sign that she didn't have to hold back her overwhelming affection anymore.

"Good morning dear, I trust you slept well?" Demeter asked with a soft smile. She had taken up the habit of calling her 'dear' now instead of Lucy. The morning routine continued all the same as before. Everyone ate their breakfast while everyone discussed what duties they had or any stories they wanted to share. Lucy had finished her breakfast and sat waiting until Venus was ready to train. "I'm all done now Lucy, c'mon, let's go." She always spoke with a sweet voice, even when she was angry. That was kinda terrifying. Lucy stood up from her chair and said goodbye to everyone before walking with Venus to the training grounds.

Venus had already taught Lucy the basic Dragon Slayer spells, in fact, all of them had. But there was so much more magic she had to learn from all of them than just Dragon Sayer Magic. Each dragon had a small range of spells and magic, which made them all pretty powerful as they were, and now Lucy had to learn all of it. "As I told you last time, today we'll be introducing Emotion Magic. It sounds simple but it's actually quite difficult. You need to force your emotions, should you use this to battle, and forcing emotions is incredibly difficult." Venus lectured, pacing back and forth as Lucy listened. "How does it work?" Lucy asked. "Well, your attacks and defences are stemmed from your emotions. The stronger your emotion, the stronger your attack or defence will be. Each emotion takes a different form of magic."

"Does it work for all emotions?" Lucy asked another question and Venus answered. "The emotions that are affected by Emotion Magic are Joy, Sorrow, Rage, Love, Excitement and Fear. These are the most common six emotions used with this magic. However, in rare cases, other emotions, if strong enough, can come forth and form its own attack or defence." Lucy nodded, intaking all of the information. "Okay, what does each emotion do?" Venus sucked in a breath before she began her long explanation.

"Joy magic uses Lightning Magic. It can create different objects or even come to life. The lightning created from the emotion is a bright yellow, brighter than regular lightning and is light blue or light orange. Sorrow Magic uses Ice Magic. It can be used at will so it can be unpredictable. Like Joy Magic, Sorrow Magic can be manipulated into many shapes and forms. The ice created is a deep blue, grey, or sometimes black. Rage Magic uses Fire Magic. The fire emits from the user's body but can't be created randomly. The angrier the user is, the hotter the flames will become. Fire created ranges from orange, to deep red, to crimson. This is the most difficult to control out of all the Emotion Magics since anger is an uncontrollable emotion. Love Magic uses Wind magic. The wind generated is pink, and deepens to a red when the user is more in love. Excite Magic uses Light Magic. Excite Magic, much like Rage Magic, is difficult to control because it is hard to calm down once the light has consumed the user. Light is hard to direct, but isn't impossible. Light comes in white and brightens depending on how excited the user is. Fear Magic uses Shadow Magic. In a dangerous situation, Fear Magic is the best defense out of all the emotions. Fear Magic can be randomly formed, making it completely unpredictable. Shadows that form go from light purple, to dark purple, to jet black."

Lucy was fascinated by what she was just told. The idea of generating magic from her emotions amazed her. "Are we going to try out some attacks and defences today?" Lucy asked, hoping she would say yes. "Of course." Venus beamed at Lucy's eagerness. "If you aren't feeling any of these emotions right now, you'll have to draw back on memories to help steer your emotions into whichever direction you want or need." Lucy grinned and took a position a few feet away form Venus, holding a fighting stance. "Which one should we try out first?" Venus asked Lucy.

"I think we should try out Sorrow Magic." Lucy answered, awaiting her instructions. Venus agreed with Lucy's choice and prepared herself for an attack. "Think of memories that make you really sad. Your attack reflects the strength of your emotion." Lucy sucked in a deep breath, thinking back to the moment that she felt was her lowest. Her face changed from relaxed to tense. It was only seconds before Lucy swiped her right arm across her front. "Saturn Ring!" She yelled as she casted a giant ring of solid ice towards Venus. The ring was at least 8 feet wide and spun at a pace so fast it became a blur to the naked eye. Venus combatted the attack with a defence of Love Magic. "Lust Shield!" A dark pink wind shot in front of Venus and took the form of a giant shield. The ice ring shattered upon impact and the wind shield dispersed soon after.

"Not bad." Venus grinned. "Shall we try another attack?" Lucy jumped into another stance with a grin. "I'm ready." Venus smirked at Lucy and copied her stance. "Hit me." Venus teased. "Saturn Blizzard!" "Love's Fury!" Both of them raised their hands to the sky, sparks of blue and pink shot from their hands into the clouds. Lucy's attack made the clouds turn grey and cause a horrendous and thick blizzard of icy shards. Venus's attack made the clouds turn red before sharpened arrows fell from the sky, aimed towards Lucy. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" "Lust Shield!" Lucy and Venus generated their defences at the same time. Lucy's roar caused a hurricane to capture all of the arrows and send them towards Venus instead. Venus's defence prevented any of the attacks from hitting her, though her shield only just survived against Lucy's roar. As the air cleared, Lucy was stood with a grin, Venus was crouched down and holding her arm out in front of herself. "That was a strong attack Lucy, well done, you're getting better." Venus praised her pupil with a sweet smile. "Thanks." Lucy returned the smile. "Let's try another one."

/

Lucy's training with Venus and Donar had finished minutes ago, all of them now sat around the dining table for lunch. "How was your training today Dear?" Demeter asked with a smile. "It was good, Venus taught me Emotion Magic and Donar taught me how to combine the Lightning element with other elements." Demeter nodded, pleased by her response. "Sounds like you've been busy so far. Are you enjoying your lessons?" She wanted to make sure that Lucy at least felt comfortable in the Dragon Realm and hoped she liked it there. "Yeah, everyone's really great to work with." Lucy smiled, tucking into her food.

Before Demeter could continue their conversation, she felt a pain in her chest. She fell forward in her chair, clutching the skin over her heart. "Demeter!" Lucy almost choked on her food as she jumped up to help the woman. "Are you alright?" Lucy's face was stretched with a concerned frown, her hands gently gripping Demeter's arms. "Grandine, can you help her?" Lucy asked as the white haired woman approached them. "Metalicana, take her to the infirmary please." Lucy had to let go of Demeter to let Metalicana scoop her up in his arms and carry her out of the room.

"What's wrong with her?" Lucy questioned Grandine, staring at the open door with worry. Grandine placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder and gave her a smile. "I'm sure it's nothing. Don't worry too much, okay?" Grandine patted Lucy's shoulder before leaving to check on Demeter. After being so distant with everyone and anyone for a few years, it was a bit overwhelming for Lucy to be so worried about Demeter. It was like she had just gotten a new family so shortly after her old one broke her down. "Don't stress Luce. She's gonna be fine." Igneel came across to give Lucy a small hug for reassurance.

/

"I know you're worried about Demeter Lucy, but you need to concentrate. Runes take a lot of focus and skill." Raghnall lectured Lucy as she had another failed attempt at creating a barrier rune. "I'm sorry." Lucy sighed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Try it again." Raghnall instructed. Lucy took a deep breath, trying to focus on the lesson.

There was a book on the floor in front of her and she had to place a rune around it to prevent Raghnall from taking it. She had already attempted a few times to no avail. She couldn't allow herself to pause her studies over simple worries, so she told herself to get it together. She began to draw the letters in the air of the spell she had studied before Raghnall's lesson. It was called Jutsu Shiki and was a magical barrier that prevented anything from entering or exiting the rune. Lucy did all she could to push aside her worries and focus on placing her magic towards the rune's strength.

To her satisfaction, the place where she moved her fingertip began to glow a bright purple and a magical shield was formed around the book. Raghnall smiled at the simple rune spell. "Good. Now, let's see if it works." He bent down and tried to grab the book but as soon as his fingers touched the edge of the shield, his hand was met with a strong invisible force. "Well done Lucy, you try." Lucy smiled at her small achievement and her smile grew even more when her hand was able to pass through the rune and grab the book. She gave the book to Raghnall with a proud smile. "Good work, next lesson we'll be learning about Dark Ecriture. You can go now if you'd like, I know how badly you want to check up on Demeter." He dismissed her with a smile. Lucy thanked him before leaving.

She was confused at herself. She had changed for the worse through the last year she spent in Fairy Tail and now, all of her past ways were starting to come back. She had taught herself not to be too trusting or let her guard down and now, here she was worrying about a woman that had only been in her life just months. Lucy chuckled to herself. _I guess some people just don't change._

* * *

Laxus groaned, pulling his earphones over his ears. Evergreen was bickering with Bickslow about how crude he was and how he 'shouldn't talk such a way in the presence of a lady'. He was leading his teammates back to the guild from the train station. They had just completed their latest mission, which was a seven month long mission. Before that, they had taken on several month-long missions and spent next to no time in the guild. Even though they had already finished their mission, Makarov had sent them a message to meet at the guild in time for the S-Class Trials.

Laxus despised spending time in the guild; it was so loud and annoying. He hated the many pointless fights that they instigated over the most petty reasons. Everyone was so insecure about themselves that they needed to prove their strength with barfights. Even after spending time on his own before being accepted back into Fairy Tail, he still couldn't help but think the others were beneath him. They just weren't worth his time and effort. The only people that he could stand being around was the Thunder God Tribe and even then, he still needed a break from them occasionally.

"I wonder what damage we'll walk into this time." Evergreen rolled her eyes, her hands on her hips. "Those idiots are always fighting and breaking everything. It's hard to find a chair with four legs in that guild." Freed agreed with her complaints. "Yes, they do seem to lack self control." Evergreen huffed and shook her head. "There's no excuse, they're lunatics!" She yelled, a scowl on her face. Bickslow just shrugged at their comments. "I don't mind it, it's entertaining." He grinned, remembering watching the mages fight from the sidelines.

"It's not entertaining, it's annoying." Evergreen scoffed. Laxus rolled his eyes, bored of the conversation already. "You're all annoying." He gave a look over his shoulder and was met with Evergreen's narrowed glare. "You're no gem yourself." She glared at the back of his head, arms folded over her chest. "We're here now." Laxus ignored Evergreen's insult and walked towards the guild's entrance. He pushed open the doors and was met with a sight he was unfamiliar with.

The guild was quiet.

Everyone was just sat silently. Their heads were all facing the ground or at their drinks. There wasn't a happy face around. "Why's it so quiet?" Bickslow whispered to Laxus, who ignored him and just headed straight up to the master's office. Laxus knocked on the door and heard a muffled 'come in'. He opened the door to see Makarov sat in the same gloomy state as the rest of the guild. "What happened while I was gone?" He was curious to know what had drastically changed the atmosphere of the usually rowdy guild.

"It's a long story." Makarov groaned, rubbing his head in shame. Laxus sat down in the chair in front of him, taking off his signature coat and placing it on the chair arm. "I've got time." He made himself comfortable as Makarov told him all about Lucy's leave. Laxus sat silently as Makarov explained everything. Once he was finished, the blonde sucked on his teeth. "Who's Lucy again?" Makarov rolled his eyes at his ignorant grandson. "The Celestial Mage." Laxus nodded. "Oh. Her." He shrugged his shoulders. "Well I can't say I blame her for leaving. I'd have judged her if she didn't go."

Makarov sighed, feeling heavy with guilt. "I just wish that even I could have snapped out of the trance." Laxus shrugged again. "Well you didn't. What's done is done. Just gotta move on now." Makarov narrowed his eyes at his grandson. "Do you not feel any remorse?" Laxus raised an eyebrow at the old man. "For what? I didn't speak to her anyways and I wasn't even here to ignore her." Makarov sighed. "You're right, you weren't a part of this... You can leave now." Laxus stood up, swinging his coat over his shoulders.

Laxus pushed open the door with one hand and paused. He turned back to face Makarov. "Come to think of it, I regret not getting a chance to try her out before she left." He shut the door, a smug smirk plastered on his face. He made his way down the stairs and over to his team, who were sat in the far corner away from everyone else. "Did you find out what happened?" Freed asked as Laxus approached them. He nodded. "Yeah, that blondie girl got ignored cause of Lisanna and left. Nobody's seen her since."

Evergreen rolled her eyes at his brief explanation. "We need a bit more information than that." Laxus shrugged, a lazy expression on his face. "Ask someone else." Evergreen sighed but got up and walked over to Mirajane to find the answers she was looking for. Freed had managed to piece together the pieces himself and nodded to himself. "I see, so Lisanna made everyone forget Lucy to her breaking point." Laxus hummed to confirm him. "Shame really." Freed turned to the blonde next to him. "She was pretty hot." Freed shook his head.

Minutes passed in silence and Laxus spent them looking around at everyone in the guild. There were different levels of guilt, it was obvious to see. The people that were closest to Lucy had the biggest frowns and looked as though they hadn't slept. ' _Probably can't sleep knowing they're hypocrites_.' Laxus mused in his head. He both hated and appreciated the strong family views the guild had. While they were annoying to preach about, if it wasn't for their forgiveness, he would still be a rogue mage searching for something that he couldn't find anywhere else.

The ones that looked the worst were Natsu, Happy Gray, Wendy, Erza and Levy. They were pretty much the only ones Laxus could vaguely associate with Lucy. He knew that Lucy and Levy were bookworms together and that she was a part of Team Natsu. As irritating as Laxus found Natsu, it wasn't a good feeling to see him look so defeated. In fact, all of them looked like they were walking dead. It didn't look like they were eating or drinking properly, Laxus remembered them a bit more muscular and toned than slim.

Evergreen made her way over to the Thunder God Tribe with a frown on her face. "Wow, I feel so bad for Lucy. I hope she's okay." Bickslow raised his eyebrow at the brunette. "Since when do you care about anyone other than yourself?" Evergreen huffed at his comment. "I'm a very considerate person, I just don't like you." Bickslow smirked at her response. "Consider me proven wrong." He remarked. Before Evergreen could snap back at him, Makarov came out of his office with a grin on his face.

"Children, gather 'round! Great news!" He gestured for everyone to stand around the bottom of the stairs. "Is it Lucy?!" Happy asked, his eyes wider than his face. Makarov shook his head with a sigh. "No, it's not about Lucy." Everyone groaned in disappointment. "We're having another S-Class Trial!" Makarov threw his hands in the air; to liven the mood. The news seemed to excite the guild members. They started clapping and cheering. "Who's competing this year?!" A voice shouted from the crowd.

Makarov shushed them, smiling at their change of mood. "Settle down and I'll call out the names of the participants." Everyone went silent as they awaited the names. "Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Cana Alberona, Levy McGarden, Elfman Strauss, Juvia Lockser, Freed Justine and Mest Gryder!" Everyone cheered and applauded the participants. Makarov waited for the crowd to die down before announcing the rules. "Each participant may pick a partner to complete the S-Class Trials with, but must be a Fairy Tail Mage and cannot already be a S-Class Mage. You will each have three months to do some extra training before you will all have to meet back here to set off to Tenrou Island, where the S-Class Trials shall be held. I suggest you make every minute count." He warned before hiding away back in his office.

Laxus rolled his eyes as the noise began to gradually get louder as everyone began looking for a partner or asking to be a partner. He just couldn't be bothered with all of their noise and nonsense. The only good thing about the S-class Trials for Laxus was that he got to beat up some hopeful idiots that thought they could get passed him.

* * *

Lucy had been ushered out of the infirmary by Grandine, who insisted that Demeter just needed some rest and so did Lucy. While she was disappointed that she couldn't put her mind at ease by making sure Demeter was alright, she trusted Grandine's judgement. "Alright, I'll see you both tomorrow morning right?" Lucy asked before she left. Grandine smiled at the blonde. "Of course Lucy, goodnight dear." Lucy gave a small smile back. "Goodnight Grandine."

Grandine sighed as she watched the blonde walk away. She closed the doors to the infirmary and locked it behind her, making sure that nobody would walk in unexpectedly. "What did you want to tell me?" Grandine made her way over to Demeter's bed, sitting down on the chair next to it. Demeter sighed, frowning deeply. "I'm going to tell you something that you mustn't tell Lucy. She cannot know until she is fully trained and ready." Grandine leaned forward, grabbing Demeter's hand with a concerned smile. "Of course. You have my word." Grandine bowed her head slightly.

Demeter could feel tears prick the corner of her eyes. "I'm dying."


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm just so excited to keep the plot going. I'm gonna keep sending out a chapter each week, most likely on the weekend. Hope you're all enjoying the story :)**

* * *

 **~Chapter 11~**

* * *

The days soon passed by into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. Lucy's strength was undeniably twenty times stronger than when she had first stepped foot in the Dragon Realm, all thanks to her tutors. In the time that had passed, Lucy had spent next to no time to herself. Every minute she had went towards training, studying and looking after Demeter.

After the first incident in the dining room, her condition had gotten increasingly worse. It was common to see Demeter in the infirmary or resting in her bed. But, when she got the chance to, Lucy would sit with Demeter on her balcony. They would look up at the stars and name the constellations. It was the only time that it made the pair of them forget that something was wrong. Of course, Lucy didn't know the gravity of Demeter's situation and was told that it was a 'mild condition' that she shouldn't worry about, but it didn't put her mind at rest in the slightest. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else.

Right now, it was early in the morning. Lucy had already showered and gotten dressed for another days training and was now stood outside on her balcony. She stared at the sunrise, a soft breeze grazing against her face and hair. Her bare hands gripped the cold railing. While it had been well over a year in the Dragon Realm, the season hadn't changed from spring. Lucy was thankful that she didn't have to bare through the harsh winters or scorching summers in this realm, it was just perfect.

While the seasons hadn't changed, Lucy certainly had. Her hair had now grown to tickle the top of her back. She had replaced any fat that she had with muscle, making her body much more toned. Her skin wasn't the same either. It used to be soft and perfect and now it was rougher and she had many scars from training. It wasn't just her body that was affected, her personality was a lot calmer now and she thought before she spoke. The only thing that hadn't changed was the eyepatch that she wore every single day to hide her scarred eye. She was incredibly grateful for this whole experience, without it, she couldn't even image where she'd be. Her mind thought back to Demeter. She was a mother figure to Lucy, and it hurt her to see Demeter in such a weak state. She already lost two families, she didn't want to lose part of her third.

Banging on her door brought her out of her thoughts. "Bunny girl, your alarm is here!" Lucy shook her head with a small smile. Ever since she told Metalicana about the silly nicknames she had received in her life, he decided it would be funny to call her by the nickname Gajeel gave her. She had gotten used to the nicknames now so it didn't bother her. She made her way to her door and opened it with a smile. "Good morning Metalicana." He smirked back at her. "C'mon, lets go." They made their way down to the dining room, making small talk about Lucy's training with him. "Admit it, I'm a better teacher than Flamebrain." He smirked at Lucy and she smiled back. "You're both great."

He shook his head. "Nah, he's an idiot." He said just as they turned into the dining room. "Who's an idiot?" Gaia asked, overhearing Metalicana's insult. The man smirked. "Who do you think?" He nodded his head over to Igneel, who was already tucking into his breakfast. Lucy sat down in her usual spot next to Grandine and Demeter, who was able to sit at breakfast this morning. "Good morning Grandine, Demeter, how are you feeling?" Lucy gave a soft smile to both of them. Grandine patted the blonde's back and Demeter returned the smile. "We're just fine, thank you dear."

Lucy finished her breakfast quicker than normal, excited to train with Werner that morning. The Dragon of War was also finished and made his way out of the dining room, telling Lucy to meet him in the training grounds once she was ready. "Goodbye Lucy, make me proud." Demeter said with a smile. Lucy stood up and gave the woman a hug, smiling as she pulled away. "I will." Everyone waved Lucy goodbye as she left to meet Werner for her first lesson of the day.

As soon as she left the castle, she found Werner in the training grounds with at least two dozen cases of different sizes placed on a bench beside him. As she came into his view, he smiled and told her to stand in front of him and close her eyes. As she did, she could hear him open up the cases. "You can open your eyes now." Lucy opened her eyes to see many weapons and armours in front of her. "Since you have now mastered Requip with Raghnall, you can now learn The Knight. It's a form of Requip that stores armour and weapons." Lucy was overly excited about this lesson. She had always admired Erza's magic and now she was able to learn it for herself.

"All of these are yours. There are a lot more for you in the castle but we'll just use these for now." Werner said, gesturing Lucy to come closer to get a better look at her new armour. He pulled out a large sword from the first case. It had a gold grip spiralled in a light blue ribbon with a diamond spike-like cross-guard. The sword was incredibly long and widened at the tip of the sword, forming a T shape. The edge was a lighter shade of silver compared to the centre of the sword. It appeared to be very weighty but as Lucy lifted it, she was able to wield the weapon perfectly fine. Werner smiled at his student testing out her new sword. "It's called an Erskine sword. Do you like it?" Lucy stopped swinging her sword and nodded, very pleased with the gift. "Yes, it's amazing, thank you."

Her placed up a hand. "Don't thank me, thank Demeter." Lucy made a mental note of that. "Moving on, I want you to unlock a dimension with your magic to store all of your armours and weapons. This way, you wont need to move them around and nobody will be able to steal them." Lucy did as instructed and sent her Erskine sword into a storage dimension. "Here is your Ansgar." He handed Lucy a long wooden spear with silver bands wrapped around the grip. The tip of the spear glowed a bright yellow, indicating it's immense power. There was a silver decoration on the spear of a man's face. His mouth was open and blended down into the grip of the spear. Lucy held and twirled the spear, getting accustomed to its form and weight. She Requipped the spear to her storage dimension.

Next, was a suit of armour. There was a galea made of gold, along with a gold breastplate, gold belt, gold rerebraces and gold cuisses. There was a pair of gladiator sandals, a leather skirt and a maroon chiton. Accompanying the armour was a rectangular shield painted red with gold wings and a gladius sword. "This is the Athena's Armour. Instead of placing the armour on yourself and then Requipping it to your storage dimension, you can just send it to your storage space first and then when you Requip it, it'll appear on your body." Lucy understood and used her knowledge and magic to send the armour to her storage dimension.

The next hour was spent by Werner showing Lucy her new armours and weapons and Lucy Requipping them into storage. There were weapons of all different kinds; swords, daggers, spears, hammers, double bladed swords and bow and arrows. Lucy had to admit that the rest of her armours could put Erza's to shame. After Lucy had finally stocked away all of her gifts, the rest of her lesson was spent duelling Werner and testing out a weapon or armour of her choice. Lucy was excited to try out a suit of armour and chose her Titanium Scales Armour.

"Requip; Titanium Scales Armour!" Lucy called out and a bright blue light encased the blonde. As soon as the light faded, Lucy was stood in her full suit of armour. There was a large headdress with long curved horns, decorated with large and small titanium rings and small chains that fell down by either side of Lucy's head as well as dangling in front of her forehead. Her eyepatch had been removed with the rest of her clothing to be replaced with the armour. Around her neck were silver rings that covered the whole of her neck and reached the top of her collarbone. There was a titanium breastplate shaped like a bra (and was connected to her shoulder plates) and was decorated in titanium scales. Her arms were bare but her hands were adorned with metal gloves. There was a band around her wrists with small chains connecting to the tip of each metal claw that covered the tip of each of her fingers. Her feet and legs were covered with titanium scale chaps that connected into her boots. Behind her was a pair of large metal wings and a metallic tail. In her hands were two identical titanium katanas wrapped in black ribbon at the handles.

Lucy was already used to combatting with an even heavier and thicker suit of armour, so this was a breeze for the blonde. Lucy charged at Werner and Werner charged at Lucy. They began clashing their weapons, each one equal to the other's skill. Their first battle lasted for half an hour, with no winner, before they switched their weapons for practice. Lucy opted to Requip out of her Titanium Scales Armour and chose to replace it with her Erskine Sword to practice combat with the sword. Werner had switched from a sword to a hammer and shield, giving Lucy a diverse experience with her opponents weapons.

"Werner! We need you in Earthland, it's Acnologia!" Datura was hovering over the training grounds in her dragon form. Werner's face tensed up and he quickly apologised to Lucy before shifting into a dragon himself. Both of the element dragons flew off into the distance, a few soldiers of Werner's following them. Lucy was stunned to silence. _What was happening in Earthland? Who was Acnologia?_ She Requipped her Erskine Sword into storage and started to walk to the castle. She was disappointed that her lesson was cut short, but knew that it would only be something really important if they needed Werner's assistance.

As soon as Lucy stepped into the castle, she heard a commotion down the north corridor, where the meeting rooms were. Her curiosity peaked and she made her way towards the noise. She kept her steps light, so not to alert the dragons ahead of her. "I am still your queen and you will respect my wishes!" The instant Lucy heard Demeter shout, she picked up her pace, fearing the worse. There was a dead end in front of her, the corridor turning left and right. She was about to turn down the right corridor, towards Demeter, she bumped into Samael.

The blonde fell backwards, her hand reaching out to grab anything to stop herself from falling. Thankfully, Samael had latched onto her wrist and pulled her back upright on her feet. "You should watch where you're going Lucy." His voice was soft and with kind intentions, but anything he said would sound chilling when accompanied by his dark aura. She smiled at him out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry Samael, but I heard Demeter yelling... is she okay?" Lucy asked him, worried about the woman that took her under her wing. Samael smiled gently, nodding. "She's fine, meetings always end up with someone shouting."

He helped dismiss her worry but only replaced it with curiosity. "What's the meeting about?" Lucy hoped that he wouldn't give a vague answer like he usually did. He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently redirecting her back down the corridor. "It's nothing you should worry about. I believe you're training with me next, perhaps we could start your lesson early?" He smiled down at the frowning blonde. "I guess..." She still had many questions to ask Samael, but she knew that she should wait to ask Demeter about it.

Samael's arm had dropped from her shoulder, the blonde now walking by his side. "I must warn you. This will be a challenge of emotional strength." Samael didn't look at Lucy as he spoke which worried the blonde. "What do you mean?" She looked up at him, anxious about the outcome of the lesson. He didn't speak until they were in the training grounds and inside the safety shield. "Today, you'll be expanding your soul outside of your body." Lucy was stunned to silence. Her mouth was open but no words left her lips. Samael chuckled at her innocent reaction. "Don't worry, nothing will go wrong. This is a move that you can make when your life depends on it. It's necessary for you to know this."

Lucy closed her mouth and simply nodded. "I'm afraid that expanding your soul is not a skill that you can learn. You need to intake an Immortality Lacrima. The lacrima won't hurt to absorb and even though it implies it, it will not grant you immortality. You will age and die at a normal rate but it can be used to avoid death in a way." Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. He wanted to give her the power to cheat death. "Do I have a choice?" Lucy finally had the strength to talk. Samael looked at her blankly. "Of course you have a choice."

"Does it do anything else?" She wanted to know more about this Immortality Lacrima before she went anywhere near it. "It also gives you the ability to see and communicate with lost souls, or ghosts as humans call them. You would also have the power to remove a soul from its body." The power was tempting. _It would be interesting to be able to communicate with the dead_... She pondered on the decision. "What are the side effects?" Samael walked towards Lucy with a smile. "There are none. There is nothing to worry about." He placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, reaching into his cloak with his other hand. Lucy followed his hand to see him pull out a small black lacrima. It was no bigger than a pill. "You only gain from this."

Lucy tried to think of the pros and cons in her head, still unsure of her decision. "I'll take it on one condition." Samael smiled at the blonde. "You don't have to take it if you don't want to, it's just something that might help you one day." He took a few steps back, realising he was probably pressuring her even more by standing so close to her. Lucy sighed, chewing her lip. "No, I'll do it. It'd be cool to talk to ghosts." Samael stared Lucy down, trying to detect any hesitation. "Is that your final answer?" Lucy nodded.

"Alright, what's your condition?" Samael spun the lacrima slowly in his hand. "I want you to tell me what the meeting was about, and don't leave out any details." Lucy gave a stern face. Samael nodded. "Very well." Lucy relaxed slightly, internally shocked that he gave in so easily, he would always shut her down whenever she questioned him about any serious business. Samael held out the lacrima to Lucy. She stared at it for a few seconds, studying it before she gently picked it up. It looked so small and harmless. Samael watched Lucy look at the lacrima in between her fingertips. "You need to swallow it. Once you do, you'll feel a strange sensation for about a minute."

Lucy switched her gaze from the lacrima to Samael, slightly worried. "Are you sure it's safe?" Samael tried to give her his friendliest smile to comfort her. "I'm sure. And if anything goes wrong, which it won't, I'll be here to help you." Lucy sighed, drawing the lacrima up to her lips. She gave Samael one last look before she dropped the lacrima in her mouth and swallowed. She could feel the lacrima move down her throat until she felt her chest start to tingle. She gave Samael a confused look as she felt the sensation spread out towards her stomach and shoulders. It moved down to her elbows and knees, causing her to lose balance and fall backwards. "What's going on?" Her words came out slurred, the lacrima making her feel really dizzy, as though she was about to faint.

"It's normal, don't worry Lucy. I'm right here next to you." She managed to get a glimpse of his blurry face before her eyelids felt heavy. She lost all control over her limbs and fell backwards, this time she felt a pair of arms catch her head before it hit the ground. In the space of a second, her body had completely shut down and her eyes were now closed. Samael had Lucy's head in his arms, knowing that she would faint. The Immortality Lacrima took very little time to take effect, meaning that as quickly as she fainted, she would regain consciousness.

Just like clockwork, Lucy's eyes fluttered open. She looked around but found there was nothing different. "It didn't work." Samael smiled at Lucy. "It did, you just don't see any souls because you aren't using the lacrima's powers right now." Lucy sat up. "Was I supposed to faint?" Samael nodded. "I don't feel any different." Samael nodded again. "That's because you aren't using the lacrima."

Samael helped Lucy stand up, her balance still slightly affected. "Now it's your turn of the deal. What was the meeting about?" Lucy gave Samael a stern look, hoping it would encourage him to not back out from his end of the bargain. "Of course." He looked down with a sigh. "There's been an attack in Earthland. A dragon called Acnologia has resurfaced after decades and..." Lucy leaned in closer to him. "And?" He glanced up at Lucy. "And he's attacking Fairy Tail. Igneel, Grandine and Metalicana want to go and help them but Demeter has ordered them to stay here for their own safety."

"Oh my god." Lucy muttered under her breath, shocked at the news. She had very mixed feelings about the attack. On one hand, there was a sliver of her that thought they deserved their bad karma, but the rest of her hoped that they would be safe from the attack. She was hurt by them but she still cared deep down. Samael placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Werner and Datura will take care of it."

There was a deep roar in the distance, making Samael and Lucy snap their heads towards its direction. "What's that?" Lucy asked, searching for the dragon responsible for the noise. Samael turned his body towards the castle. "They're back. Come on, you have a right to know what happened." Lucy followed Samael blindly, too distracted in her mind to focus on where she was walking. She hoped for the best.

* * *

 **Sorry it took a bit longer than usual, haven't had wifi for a couple days :(**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay so this is the last chapter that has anything to do with training, I'm writing this a bit late so it'll probably be Wednesday that you're reading this, it's been a bit busy.**

* * *

 **~Chapter Twelve~**

* * *

"Lucy!" Igneel was panting, out of breath from chasing the blonde around the castle. He was by the entrance now, leaning against the frame as he squinted into the distance. He searched for a sign of Lucy. Her hair. Her voice. Anything. The pouring rain masked her scent so he couldn't detect which direction she went. "Igneel, did you see where she went?" A wheezy voice asked behind him, limping towards him. "No Demeter, she's disappeared." A concerned sigh made Igneel turn to comfort his Queen.

"It'll be alright, she'll come back. In the time I've gotten to know her, I can tell you for certain that she'll come back." A bolt of lighting struck in the distance, the sound made Demeter's fragile heart tense. Demeter groaned, clutching at her chest. "Igneel, please find her. Alive. There's no time to spare." The fire dragon placed an arm around Demeter's torso, guiding her to the base of the stairs to sit down. He gently lowered her down, letting her grab onto the railing for support. "Stay here, Grandine will be here soon."

Demeter was too weak to say anything, just giving him a small nod. He backed away from her and turned towards the main door. "Please find her." He gave her a confident grin to mask his worry before he headed out into the heavy storm. Demeter followed him with her eyes, praying for the return of her successor. "May the gods watch over her." She whispered, feeling her eyelids becoming too much to keep open. Her hand slipped from the railing and she fell back, now laying across the base of the stairs.

* * *

Samael lead the pair of them inside the castle and up the stairs to the meeting rooms. "I have no doubt that they'll be in the same room as before." He spoke to Lucy but it was directed more to himself. "Am I allowed to be in the room?" Lucy's question made Samael stop abruptly. "No. So you'll have to hide outside the door to eavesdrop." Lucy smirked to herself, pleasantly surprised that Samael was letting her eavesdrop on an important meeting. Samael turned a corner and Lucy could hear talking ahead.

"Right, the room is just along this hall, you need to stay outside okay?" The blonde nodded silently. He glanced at her before walking ahead, entering the room with a short greeting. "Ah, Samael, where's Lucy?" Grandine asked her fellow dragon. "She's studying in the library." Demeter smiled, sat down in her chair. "Of course, she's a smart girl to be invested in her studies." Lucy was too confused to mentally thank Demeter's praise. She was happy that Samael was letting her eavesdrop but she wondered what the reason was for his sudden change of heart. Perhaps this meeting concerned her? Or maybe he didn't think it was going to be anything bad so he let her this one time so she would stop asking? She didn't know.

"Werner, Datura, the report please." Werner stepped forward. "We didn't make it in time to stop the attack..." His voice was filled with sorrow. Lucy had to bite down into her hand to hold back the urge to interfere. _Did that mean they were dead? Did Acnologia kill them all?_ Her mind was so confused with a flood of emotions. She wanted to be angry at them for what they did but it was in her true nature to forgive. Instead of dwelling on the bad memories, all she could think of was the happy times she had spent in Fairy Tail and how they were all gone now.

"But we found one of their founders; Mavis Vermillion. She helped Fairy Tail perform a Fairy Sphere which saved them, but they are trapped frozen for seven years on Tenrou Island." Lucy felt a weight lifted from her chest. _Thank god_. She was unbelievably thankful that they had survived. Demeter nodded. "Well, there you have it. They are safe and out of trouble for seven years. I hope this information has put your minds at rest." She looked at Igneel, Metalicana and Grandine with a smile. Grandine smiled with a sigh. "It has."

"Good, I'm sorry that-" Demeter was interrupted by her own coughing fit. She grabbed a nearby tissue and held it over her mouth. Grandine rushed over to her side, comforting her. Demeter shook her head in protest. "I'm fine." She all but wheezed out, the tissue blotched with blood. Grandine frowned at Demeter. "It's getting worse, I'm afraid you won't make it until Lucy's-" "I will. I'll make sure I will. I won't miss that day." Grandine softened her face. "Of course, we'll do all we can to make sure you see her on her special day."

Demeter smiled fondly at Grandine and the other dragons in the room. "I remember my coronation. The moment the crown was placed upon my head and the sceptre in my hand... I felt like I was in a dream, a beautiful dream that I still see so clearly. My mother and father were sat down in the front row with the biggest smiles on their faces." Demeter grinned. "I want to be sat in the same seat as I watch Lucy take her crown." As Demeter spoke, the pitter patter of rain hit the window of the room, a storm making it's way over the castle.

Lucy couldn't believe her ears. _Coronation? Crown? Am I the next Queen? Why? Is Demeter dying? Why wouldn't she tell me?_ The questions pounded in her mind, vigorously searching for answers. She thought it was time to reveal herself now, unable to hide anymore. She moved to stand at the door, but nobody was looking at her, their backs facing her. "Is she ready Demeter?" Lucy kept quiet, interested in Demeter's answer. The Queen smiled sadly. "I don't know just yet." Igneel stepped forward. "Well, ready or not, I'd be honoured to be under her reign." Lucy could feel tears prickling at her eyes as the rest of the dragons agreed enthusiastically. They thought so much of her but she wasn't ready for such a huge responsibility.

"What if I don't want to be queen? What's happening to you that I'd have to take over?" All heads turned around to see their beloved Lucy looking up at them with a teary face. Demeter stared at the blonde with wide eyes. "Lucy... I didn't want you to find out this way." Her voice was low, guilt consuming Demeter from keeping secrets from Lucy. "Are you... dying?" Lucy's voice was choked from her disappointment. Nobody spoke, Metalicana gave everyone a certain look, one they understood was their cue to leave the room. It was clear this moment was for Lucy and Demeter only. Everyone left without so much as a sigh, shutting the door behind them before walking off in different directions.

Demeter pushed herself up, her hands using the table for support. She walked slowly towards Lucy. "I'm sorry Lucy." She held a hand out to touch Lucy's cheek, Lucy placed her own hand over the top. "Why didn't you tell me?" Both Lucy and Demeter's eyes were glossy from their sorrow. "I didn't want you to worry. You have such a big heart, I knew you'd put aside your training to help me." Lucy sniffled, leaning her head further into Demeter's hand. "But I'm worried now... I've already lost one mother, I cant lose you too." Demeter shook her head.

"You're not losing me. I'll still be around to watch over you." Lucy couldn't bring herself to respond, lowering her eyes to the floor. "Hey, don't be sad." Demeter used her other hand to gently lift up Lucy's chin, her eyes fluttering up to look at Demeter. "This is exactly how I wanted it to go. I knew I didn't have much time left and I cant even begin to express in words how glad I am to have met you and spent the time to know such a beautiful young girl, inside and out." Lucy's lips trembled. "How much time do you have left?"

Demeter frowned, averting her gaze. "That doesn't matter, you don't need to worry about that." Lucy felt an anger appear inside her. "But it does matter. I need to know how long I have left with you. So tell me, how long do you have left?" Lucy begged Demeter with her large eyes. Demeter sighed heavily. "Grandine thinks I might see the light of day for two more weeks." Lucy pulled away from Demeter, feeling overwhelmed with betrayal. "And you didn't think to tell me sooner? If you cared about me at all, you'd have told me!" Lucy began raising her voice, not able to control herself.

Demeter, in turn, was frustrated by how Lucy couldn't see her point of view. "I hid it from you to shield you. I needed you to focus on your studies, not fret over me all day." Lucy scoffed. "You think my training is more important to me than family?" Lucy felt offended by Demeter's assumption. "That's not what I'm saying Lucy! You're my only successor so I needed you to be ready for when the day called for you." Lucy's face scrunched up in anger. Their argument grew more heated by the second. "And what day is that?!" Demeter slammed her hand down on the table, enraged at Lucy's attitude. "The day of your coronation! Like it or not Lucy Heartfilia, you are next in line for the throne! You will be Queen of Dragons!"

In an outburst of anger, Lucy yelled her reply. "Well I don't want to be Queen!" Demeter scowled at Lucy. "It doesn't matter what you want! You were chosen and you will do as I say!" Lucy finally felt her limit break. "I will never be Queen! You cant make me! Not you or anybody!" Demeter gasped, her eyes staring at Lucy's face with nostalgia. The blonde then stormed out of the room, running along the halls before passing Igneel at the top of the stairs. "Lucy! Come back here!" Demeter's withering strength caused the woman to limp along the halls of her castle, unable to catch up to Lucy. "What's going on?" He asked, extremely confused. "Go after her Igneel!" Demeter ordered and Igneel quickly followed the direction of his pupil.

"Lucy?!" He only caught a glimpse of her blonde locks around a corner to follow her, but by the time he reached that spot, all trace of her was gone. "Lucy?!" He shouted louder, growing more hopeful that she would return to the sound of his voice. He tried to detect her scent, but she had been taught how to disguise it with a spell by Raghnall. "Damn it..." The red headed man groaned, pulling at his face in frustration. He had to admit, his senses had lost their touch over the past few decades.

Aimlessly, he ran along a random corridor that lead to the entrance of the castle. During his wild goose chase, he couldn't help but become more aware of the thunder and lightning outside. He had an inkling of the conversation that took place between Lucy and Demeter, he could understand why Lucy felt the need to run out. She probably felt pressured into a position of overwhelming responsibility. Igneel, a free spirit himself, understood how difficult it would have been for Lucy to hear that she had to be a queen, with no warning either. Even though Demeter was his Queen, he had to agree with Lucy that she probably should have told her earlier.

Deep inside his thoughts, he almost didn't notice the blonde run out of the castle. He had managed to get himself on the third floor, so he already knew that she'd be long gone before he even reached the castle doors. "Lucy!" He still had hope that she would listen to him, if not Demeter. His legs were growing tired from running around after the teenager.

"Lucy!" Igneel was panting, out of breath from chasing the blonde around the castle. He was by the entrance now, leaning against the frame as he squinted into the distance. He searched for a sign of Lucy. Her hair. Her voice. Anything. The pouring rain masked her scent so he couldn't detect which direction she went. "Igneel, did you see where she went?" A wheezy voice asked behind him, limping towards him. "No Demeter, she's disappeared." A concerned sigh made Igneel turn to comfort his Queen.

"It'll be alright, she'll come back. In the time I've gotten to know her, I can tell you for certain that she'll come back." A bolt of lighting struck in the distance, the sound made Demeter's fragile heart tense. Demeter groaned, clutching at her chest. "Igneel, please find her. Alive. There's no time to spare." The fire dragon placed an arm around Demeter's torso, guiding her to the base of the stairs to sit down. He gently lowered her down, letting her grab onto the railing for support. "Stay here, Grandine will be here soon."

Demeter was too weak to say anything, just giving him a small nod. He backed away from her and turned towards the main door. "Please find her." He gave her a confident grin to mask his worry before he headed out into the heavy storm. Demeter followed him with her eyes, praying for the return of her successor. "May the gods watch over her." She whispered, feeling her eyelids becoming too much to keep open. Her hand slipped from the railing and she fell back, now laying across the base of the stairs.

* * *

The storm had passed, the sun now rising for the start of the early morning. It's beams of light slowly inching towards the sleeping girl laying on the forest floor. The soft light tickled her cold skin. She welcomed the sudden warmth in her unconscious state, a small smile poking at her lips. It wasn't long before the light covered her whole body, exposing her from the night.

It wasn't long before creatures began to circle around her, curious of the blonde laying in the grass. The crowd of animals caught the attention of Gaia, who was taking her leisurely morning walk through the forest. She shook her head at the sight. "Lucy. Wake up dear." Gaia walked through the crowd of animals, gently shaking the freezing blonde awake. Lucy's eyes fluttered open before shutting again, wincing at the bright light of the sun. "Where am I?" Lucy asked, slowly standing up off the wet grass.

Gaia helped the girl. "You're in the forest, you probably got tired from running away all night and passed out on the grass." Lucy looked down. "Oh... I forgot." Her eyes snapped up at Gaia and she stepped away from the brunette. "You're not going to force me to go back now are you?" Gaia shook her head with a smile. "No, but I am hoping you'll join me on my walk?" Lucy took a few seconds of silence before nodding her head. Gaia's smile grew bigger. "Great." Gaia lead them onto a small path in the forest.

They walked in silence for a bit before Lucy felt like she was going to burst from keeping her questions contained inside her. "Why me? Why now? What's wrong with Demeter? Why didn't she tell me before? Did everyone know but me?" Lucy took a deep breath, losing oxygen from her mini rant. Gaia giggled at Lucy. "I was wondering how long it would be before you couldn't hold it anymore." Lucy stared at Gaia with confusion. She needed answers. Gaia sighed before answering Lucy's questions.

"Well, as you know, Demeter doesn't have any children of her own. It not for any reason in particular, she just never found that special someone for her happily ever after. She just spent her time alone, as lonely as it sounds I think she just preferred it that way. She never had a need to have a successor until she started to grow weaker. Then she had to venture out to find one before it was too late." Lucy listened intently, not wanting to miss a word. Gaia looked at Lucy with sorrow in her eyes. "Demeter is dying and fast. She doesn't have long."

Lucy looked to the ground, she felt sad and guilty for running out on Demeter like that. "We all understand how much pressure is on you right now, but you are our only hope." Lucy looked up at Gaia. "Why can't another dragon be King or Queen?" Gaia shook her head. "For the same reason she chose you; only a dragon of celestial magic can be heir." Lucy furrowed her brows in confusion. "But why?" Gaia shrugged. "I'm not too sure, it's just been that way ever since the beginning of dragons."

"So only I can be the next Queen?" Gaia gad a sad smile. "Yes. There isn't enough time to choose and train another successor." Gaia stopped in her tracks to place her hands on Lucy's shoulders. "I know this is a lot for you to think about. It's a huge choice, I know. But I want you to know that if you accept, you'll have all of us to help you out when you need it." Gaia smiled at Lucy. Lucy returned it but her eyes wandered to the floor. "What happens if I don't accept?" Gaia cleared her throat and her hands fell to her side. "Then chaos would consume our kind. Without a true heir, dragons would go power hungry and it'd be a bloodbath for the throne." Lucy bit the inside of her lip, guilt eating away at her.

"That sounds awful..." Gaia sighed once more. "I know it seems like a huge responsibility, like a shackle to chain you to this place, but it's not that bad. We'll always be by your side to support you. We all love you and would be honoured to serve you as our queen, but we would never force you to accept." Lucy took in a deep breath and nodded to herself. "If it means that much to all of you, then I accept. I don't want to be responsible for the death of so many for my own selfishness." Gaia all but crushed Lucy in a hug. "Oh thank you! You don't even know how happy I am right now, we have to tell everyone the good news!" Lucy laughed at Gaia's enthusiasm.

Gaia didn't waste any time and teleported the two of them to the castle doors. "It's morning so everyone will be at breakfast now, come on. You worried everyone when you ran off last night, they'll be so happy to see you safe again." Gaia nearly dragged Lucy into the castle, too excited to notice how hard she was pulling Lucy. Lucy managed to keep up with Gaia's pace so it didn't hurt too much against her wrist. "Everyone! We have great news!" She yelled as they were only inches away from the dinning room.

Gaia entered the room with Lucy tucked by her side. The pair of them had smiles on their faces, Gaia's almost twice as big as Lucy's. "Lucy! You're safe!" Everyone practically jumped up at the sight of their beloved Lucy, thankful for her safe return. Igneel had pushed passed everyone else to give Lucy a tight hug. "Don't you run away again!" He scolded, holding Lucy snug against him. "I'm sorry for making you and everyone worry. I promise it wont happen again." After Igneel, reluctantly, let Lucy go, Grandine was next to squeeze Lucy's cheeks and kiss her forehead. "I'm so glad you're back home and safe. Who knows what could have happened to you?"

Lucy felt tears well up in her eyes at the sheer amount of love she was experiencing. Everyone took turns to hug her and tell her how worried they were that she ran off and/or how thankful they were that she was back. It had been a long time since she had felt this important to anyone. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to worry anyone... my emotions got the better of me." Igneel waved off Lucy's apology. "We've all been there, it's alright. We're all just glad you're back."

"Where's Demeter?" Lucy asked, wiping away her tears. Igneel blew out a heavy sigh, the room suddenly going quiet. "Well, last night I tried to find you out in the woods but I couldn't. When I came back, Demeter had took a turn for the worse." Lucy felt her heart sink. "She's resting now but I have no doubt that she'd want to see you. She was the most worried out of all of us, she kept trying to escape out of her bed to find you." Igneel laughed slightly, trying to lift the atmosphere. Lucy frowned. "I need to see her." She excused herself from the room to go to Demeter.

She was consumed with guilt from her petty actions last night. She had acted so childish, speaking out of hatred. She wished that it wasn't too late to take everything back. She didn't want Demeter to see her like that. Lucy kept moving between a walk and a jog, anxious to see Demeter. It wasn't long before she made it to her bedroom door. She knocked but gave no time for an answer before opening the door.

"Demeter? Are you awake?" Lucy whispered as she peered her head in the room. She saw Demeter laying on her bed, her eyes shut in her slumber. "Demeter?" She spoke a little louder this time, walking slowly over to her. Part of her thought she should leave her to rest but another wanted to clear the air and put both of their minds at rest. Lucy's voice managed to wake Demeter, who couldn't register who was stood in front of her at first. "Lucy? Is that you?" Lucy reached out to Demeter, sitting down on the side of her bed.

"It's me." Demeter's eyes widened instantly and she grabbed Lucy's hand. "If I had the strength to hug you, I would. I'm so glad you're back dear." Demeter brought Lucy's hand up to her lips and gave her a gentle kiss on her knuckles. Lucy smiled sadly, leaning forward to hug her. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean anything. I don't hate you at all. I'm sorry for running away. I was being selfish and childish. I was just scared." Lucy cried onto Demeter's shoulder. Demeter stroked Lucy's back, shushing her. "I know dear, I know. I'm just happy you're safe." Lucy pulled away from Demeter, sniffling.

"I'm sorry." Demeter shushed Lucy again, stroking her cheek. "It's alright dear, you didn't do anything wrong." Demeter smiled weakly at Lucy. There was a few moments without words as Lucy composed herself. "I want you to know that I'm going to accept the position." Demeter's smile grew larger. "I cant tell you how happy that makes me, I'm so proud of you." Lucy felt just as happy to hear those words and to see the look in Demeter's eyes that only strengthened her words. "Lay with me." Demeter patted the space beside her and Lucy lay down with Demeter, facing the dying queen.

"I have no doubt that you'll make a brilliant queen." Lucy could sense that Demeter was forcing herself to stay awake, too weak at the moment. "You need to rest." Lucy ordered, tucking a loose strand of grey hair behind Demeter's ear. The woman chuckled. "Well look who's giving the orders now." That was all she said before her eyes fell shut, returning to her peaceful slumber. It wasn't long before Lucy joined Demeter to sleep, not leaving her side.

Grandine shortly appeared at the door to check up on Demeter but could only stand and smile at the scene before her. "How sweet..." She whispered to herself, deciding to leave the two alone for a while.


	13. Chapter 13

**I'm sorry I haven't been active for a while but I've been really struggling lately with personal reasons. But I'm back now :) so hopefully the story is going to continue as normal.**

* * *

 **~Chapter Thirteen~**

* * *

"Is everything okay Lucy?" Grandine asked as she spotted her uncomfortable expression in the mirror. The two women were currently in Lucy's closet, Lucy sat down in her chair by the desk at the far corner and Grandine standing behind her, her hands entwined in her blonde locks. Today was _the_ day. The most important day in Lucy's whole life. Coronation Day.

Naturally, Lucy had to look her best, a vision of beauty and grace for her first impression as queen. Grandine took it upon herself to pamper Lucy, wanting to make the girl more comfortable with her presence. Traditionally, the queen would be styled by a lady's maid but Grandine thought it would only stress Lucy more. The older woman was beyond thankful that Lucy had decided to grow out her hair instead of cutting it back to its short length. She lightly curled her hair, letting it flow down her back gracefully and pinned back a few strands at the side to pull focus towards her face. Grandine had also applied some light makeup to accentuate Lucy's beauty. Lucy had finally felt confident with her mismatched eye so she no longer hid it behind an eye patch. They hadn't gotten onto dressing Lucy yet, so the blonde was still sat in a white bath robe.

Lucy sighed, her eyes wandering to her hands on her lap. "I'm scared Grandine." The white haired woman frowned at Lucy in the mirror. "I imagine you must be, you're still young, you're only 24, you want to have freedom but you'll be responsible for a whole kingdom now." Lucy's expression tightened, Grandine's words making her feel more pressure. Grandine had begun pinning in diamond pins to decorate Lucy's hair. "You can look at it that way, or you can think-"

Grandine was interrupted by a male voice behind them. "I'm 24 and I'm running a damn kingdom. I'm fierce and powerful and nothing's gonna pull me down." Lucy and Grandine turned to see Igneel grinning at the pair of them. Igneel was already dressed in his own fine clothes. Lucy beamed at the visit whilst Grandine rolled her eyes at his interruption. "That's not quite what I was going to say but I guess it will do." Grandine said as Lucy got up to hug Igneel. "What brings you here?" Lucy asked but didn't really care about the answer, she was just glad he was here.

"I just came by to see you before your big day." Lucy smiled at Igneel. "Thanks Igneel, it's good to see you." The red head grinned. "Of course it is." Grandine shook her head at his cockiness. "Do you mind Igneel? I need to get Lucy dressed and you're distracting her." Igneel shrugged. "Fine fine, I'll just wait in her bedroom." Igneel closed the door behind him and Lucy returned to her seat. Grandine muttered to herself about Igneel whilst pinning in the few final decorative pins. Lucy smiled at Grandine, the petty comments taking her mind off the stress weighing on her shoulders.

"There, all done." Grandine smiled, her hands placed gently on Lucy's shoulders. Lucy grinned at her reflection, feeling the most beautiful ever before in her life. "Wow, I look amazing." Grandine didn't let the moment last too long before she went to get Lucy's coronation clothes from her own bedroom. Demeter had sent Gaia to get the best seamstresses from Earthland to create Lucy's coronation clothes and it was kept a surprise until the day came. It wasn't long before Grandine returned with a red velvet case. "Close your eyes, you can open them to see the finished look." Grandine ordered. Lucy obeyed and shut her eyes. She didn't peek, also intrigued by the suspense of what her clothes would look like.

It took all of Lucy's strength not to peak, her curiosity growing with each passing second. Grandine could sense the blonde's eagerness. With a smile, she tutted at Lucy. "No peaking now, the end result will be worth it." Lucy nodded. Lucy knew that she was in a grand dress and couldn't wait to hear Grandine pull up the back zipper, the signal that she could finally open her eyes. Lucy bit her lip to hold back her excitement. Her nerves were overpowered by the dream every little girl had of wearing a big beautiful gown fir for a queen. "You can open your eyes now." Lucy could not have opened her eyes any faster than she did, and they remained open from shock. She couldn't believe what her eyes were staring at in the mirror. "Woah..." Grandine was stood behind Lucy, her hands wiping away the tears welling up in her eyes.

The dress was far more beautiful than Lucy could ever have imagined. It had an off-shoulder neckline with white coloured chiffon sleeves and a jewelled corset. The crystals twinkled as the lights hit them. The dress had a ball gown skirt made of the same white coloured chiffon and the jewels from the corset trickled down onto the top of the skirt and lightly decorated the base of the skirt, but not too much so it wouldn't weigh down the fabric. The skirt was floor length and had a small train at the back. Grandine had also placed crystal slippers on Lucy's feet. They surprisingly felt just like regular heels. Her hands and neck were accessorised with similar crystals, just enough to not outshine the handiwork of the corset. "It's beautiful." Lucy recognised her appearance instantly. This dress was featured in one of the visions Demeter had shown her when she first set foot in the Dragon Realm.

"Demeter will be so proud of you Lucy." Grandine choked out. Lucy turned around to give the woman a hug, ever so thankful for her. "Thank you, for everything." Lucy sniffled, pulling away from Grandine. "Right, I need to get myself ready now, so unfortunately, you'll be in the company of Igneel for now." Lucy chuckled at her remark before following the woman out of her dressing room.

"How many more times Metalhead? I don't know how long they're gonna be!" As soon as Grandine opened the door, the pair of them could hear Igneel arguing with Metalicana. "What are you buffoons arguing about now?" Grandine sighed, annoyed at their childish behaviour. Igneel and Metalicana both turned their heads towards the girls and their jaws hit the floor at the sight of their future queen. "Woah..." They gasped in unison, their eyes glued to the vision before them. Lucy blushed at the attention, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she lowered her gaze to the floor. "My son missed out big time." Metalicana's words earned a knock to the head from Grandine.

"I'll say." Igneel chuckled, his eyes still staring at Lucy. Grandine rolled her eyes before giving up. "I'm going to get dressed. I'll see you soon Lucy." The woman smiled at the blonde before she left the room. Now that Grandine was gone, Lucy felt a little uncomfortable with their gazes. "Alright, you can stop staring now." Lucy joked, shaking her head at their behaviour. Thankfully, they shook out of their dazes and pulled themselves together. "Sorry Luce, you're just so beautiful, you're gonna have to get used to being stared at now." Igneel grinned. Metalicana nodded his head in agreement.

"Where's Demeter?" Lucy asked them, wanting her mother figure to glimpse at her creation. "She's already outside making sure everything's in place." Metalicana answered. Lucy smiled. "Thank you." She began to walk out of the room when something caught her eye. "Wait, where are my keys?" Igneel waved his hand at Lucy. "Don't worry, Demeter has them, she's polishing them or something." Lucy raised an eyebrow at his answer, confused. _Why would Demeter take my keys?_ She didn't say anything else before leaving her room to find Demeter, Igneel and Metalicana followed shortly after.

Lucy found Demeter easily; her magic had reduced so much lately that she was unable to transform to her human form, having to remain in her dragon form. She was taken back at all of the decorations for her coronation, everything looked so regal and elegant. "Demeter." Lucy called for her attention, making Demeter turn around. The dragon queen welled up instantly at the sight of the Lucy, the girl she considered a daughter. "I am speechless." The two exchanged smiles before Demeter's tired expression perked up. "I have a surprise for you." Demeter swirled her tail behind her, brought it forward and presented a small velvet box to Lucy.

"What is it?" Lucy asked as she gently picked it up off the ground. "Open it." Lucy bit her lip and smiled at Demeter. She slowly opened the box, anxious to see what Demeter had gifted her. She gasped as she lifted the lid. Inside the box was a necklace. Not just any necklace, but a pendant with one of Demeter's golden scales framed in an intricate silver carving, the handiwork of Metalicana, she presumed. "It's beautiful." Demeter smiled. "I'm glad you like it. You can put it on now if you'd like?" Lucy nodded happily and clasped the necklace around her neck. The pendant rested at the top of her corset, matching the dress perfectly.

"Now you have something to remember me by." Demeter smiled sadly. Lucy frowned. "What do you mean 'remember'?" Demeter sighed, a look of guilt and sorrow etched on her face. "Lucy... I-" "Princess!" Demeter was interrupted by a familiar voice. Lucy turned her head to find all of her spirits walking towards her, Loki at the front of the crowd and holding all of their keys in his hand. Forgetting the conversation with Demeter, she excused herself from Demeter and walked towards her spirits with a huge grin, overjoyed to see them. "How are you all here? I would have opened all of your gates for today but Grandine said I wasn't allowed to even lift a finger today." Lucy chuckled. Loki hugged his master tightly. "The Celestial King granted us each enough power to open our own gates to witness your coronation, apparently he was 'returning a favour to an old friend'." Loki smiled at Demeter.

"That's great!" Lucy went around her other spirits, hugging them tightly. "Are you nervous Miss Lucy?" Aries asked, worried about her master's emotions. A coronation is a stressful event after all. Lucy beamed at Aries, nodding her head. "A little bit but it's nothing to worry about, I'm sure anyone would have jitters." A few of the spirits nodded and murmured in agreement. The sound of heavy footsteps pulled Lucy from her conversation, turning to find Demeter standing over her. "Come walk with me." Her voice was soft but left no room for disagreement.

Lucy said goodbye to her spirits and began her aimless wander with Demeter. "Where are we going?" The blonde asked, craning her head to get a glimpse of Demeter's face. The dragon smiled and shrugged. "Nowhere. Anywhere. I thought perhaps a walk would help your nerves." Lucy smiled at the sentiment. "Thank you, it does." Demeter lead the pair into the forest they were still pretty close to the coronation site, not wanting to wander too far away.

"I want to thank you Lucy." The blonde raised an eyebrow at the dragon, utterly confused. "Why? I haven't done anything." Demeter smiled and brought their walk to a stop, opting to sit down so not to tire herself or Lucy out. "You gave me everything you had to offer. You put your heart and soul into your training. You accepted a future full of duties and responsibilities. You secured the future of the Dragon Realm. And for that, I thank you. I know you'll be a wonderful queen." Lucy frowned. "None of this wouldn't have been possible it if wasn't for you Demeter... I just did what you told me to." Lucy looked at the ground, unable to look at Demeter. Demeter soon mirrored Lucy's frown and sighed. "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink."

Lucy raised her head to face Demeter. "What does that mean?" Demeter smiled, lowering her head to get closer to Lucy. "It means all of this was because of you. Nobody had forced you to stay or train or become a very important piece of this family. You could have left anytime you liked, but you didn't. You persevered because deep down, you know how powerful you are. You have a whole kingdom who adores you even before being their queen." Lucy beamed at Demeter, getting a boost of confidence and inspiration from her mother figure. "Thank you. But I still couldn't have done any of this without you." Lucy reached up to hug Demeter's head.

"Come, you wouldn't want to miss your own coronation, would you?" Demeter smiled down at the blonde as she moved to stand up, trailing back out the forest. "It looks like the seats are filling up now, I think your coronation will be starting soon." Lucy glanced up at Demeter with a hidden smile as they made it towards the ceremony space. "Go on now, I'll be watching you with pride in my heart." Demeter gently nudged Lucy towards the aisle as the orchestra had begun to play a traditional coronation hymn. "Rise in the presence of your future queen."

Lucy felt her heart beat a mile a minute with each feeble step she took down the row of chairs and piercing gazes. She kept her eyes straight, not wanting to make accidental eye contact and panic. She could feel her palms accumulate with sweat, her confidence suddenly dropping. She had thought she was ready for this huge commitment, but apparently she was wrong.

 _'...You have a whole kingdom who adores you...' '...I'm 24 and I'm running a damn kingdom..._ ' Lucy smiled slightly to herself. Her family's words echoing in her mind, encouraging her. They were right. _'I'm 24 and I'm a queen for god's sake! I'm an Elemental Dragon Slayer! Why am I so afraid? I've got this.'_ From that moment on, she felt a heaviness leave her and she let out a large breath of relief. As she made her way to the steps of the stage, the orchestra quietened and the reverend spoke. "Is your Majesty willing to take the Oath?" Lucy took her final steps and sighed. "I am willing."

"Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?"

"I will."

"Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the Laws of the Dragons?"

"I will."

"Will you to your power serve, protect and nourish the subjects and the land of your kingdom?"

"To all of this I will do."

There was a small silence as the crown and scepter were presented to the reverend. Lucy tilted her head slightly as the reverend placed the crown upon her head. It was made of diamond with gems of all colours embedded into it's intricate design. To Lucy's surprise, it didn't weigh her head down too much. "May I present the Queen of the Dragon Realm; her Majesty, Queen Lucy Hearfilia!" The crowd that had been so silent had now erupted into cheers and whistles. The reverend handed Lucy the scepter, which appeared to be made out of gold, a dragon carved to look as though it was crawling to the top of the scepter, its scales made of diamonds and its eyes made of rubies. Lucy turned around to face her subjects, tears brimming at her eyes.

She glanced around the open space to see spirits, humans, dragons and creatures of all kinds grinning and cheering before her. She felt adored and prized. Gripping the scepter, she felt a surge of power flood through her, travelling through her veins. A blinding white light surrounded Lucy, the Dragon Realm gifting her untold powers in return for her devotion. Words could not describe how Lucy felt in that moment, but one thing was for sure.

This was a moment she would remember until the end of time.


	14. Chapter 14

**It's been a while since I've wrote anything but I'm back now to continue my story.**

* * *

 **~Chapter 14~**

* * *

"Let's hear it for the new queen!" Igneel yelled out, applauding Lucy. "Thank you." The blonde whispered, her tears falling down her cheeks. She raised the sceptre to the sky in celebration. She basked in the cheers and calls of her name in this glorious moment. Not only their adoration, but she felt a physical power surging through her body. Demeter had informed Lucy of the power she would receive once she was crowned but it was beyond her imagination. Now the official ceremony was over, everyone began running up to embrace Lucy.

First in line was Igneel. "Come here kiddo!" He chuckled, squeezing Lucy tight. "Crushing my ribs there." Lucy joked, hugging the man back. Once he let go, she was pulled into another suffocating hug from Loke, who had been her biggest supporter for countless years. "I guess this means I can call you my Queen now." He grinned at his master, overwhelmed with pride. Lucy smirked. "I suppose that would be accurate." She smiled as he pulled away.

The young queen was pulled into many embraces and congratulations that it was at least half an hour before she realised Demeter wasn't in the crowd surrounding her. Lucy raised her head, trying to see above the crowd. Demeter was still sat in the distance, suddenly smiling at Lucy once they made eye-contact. Lucy excused herself from her new loving subjects to head towards Demeter. "You've made me so proud dear." Lucy frowned at the gathering of tears in Demeter's eyes, reaching up to wipe them away. "There's no need to cry." Lucy spoke softly as she took the seat beside her mentor.

Demeter shook her head gently. "Of course not, I can assure you these are tears of joy." Lucy smiled and placed her hand above Demeter's paw. "Soon you'll need to change for your coronation ball, I wont take your time now but I would like you to accompany me in the garden once it's all over. Now go and keep an eye on Igneel and Metalicana." Demeter shooed Lucy away into the crowd with a smile.

/

Once everyone had their turn of congratulation Lucy, it was time for the queen to change into her evening attire for the coronation ball. She had headed up to her room alone, insisting Grandine she was perfectly capable of getting ready herself and to let the air dragon worry about her own evening wear. Once finally in her safe haven, she headed straight towards her wardrobe, wanting to get out of her gown as quick as possible. While she adored the beautiful dress, she feared damaging it in any way and wanted to return it to it's velvet box. She also removed her jewellery and gently placed her crown on the cushioned seat of her desk chair.

It was hard to choose what to wear from her large selection of stunning dresses. _Should I wear something simple? Something extravagant? What colour? And my hair! What am I gonna do with my hair?_ Lucy panicked in her head, regretting making this choice herself. "I know, I'll summon Cancer." She reached for his key from her waist but realised that her keys weren't on her body. She forgot that Demeter had collected them earlier so that they could attend her coronation. She knew her spirits would have returned to the Spirit Realm by now. She peaked her head out from her wardrobe and scanned her room with her eyes, hoping they would have made their way back to their usual place on her bedside table.

Luckily, they had. Lucy cheered in her head and bolted towards her keys and back to the wardrobe. Unfortunately, her bedroom door didn't have a lock on the door so anyone could have just burst in without knocking. Thankfully, her wardrobe did. She quickly locked the door behind her, having too many memories of Igneel and Metalicana just waltzing in whenever they felt like. She summoned Cancer, who was not unaccustomed to seeing his master half dressed, having helped her with fashion advise and hair styling before. He also didn't make perverted comments like his peers Loke and Taurus.

The spirit appeared with a bow. "My Queen." Lucy grinned awkwardly. "I guess Loke told you about that." Cancer nodded. "What can I do for you Lucy?" He was unaffected by Lucy's appearance. "Well, I need your advise for the coronation ball that starts in two hours." His face seemed to perk up at the mention of a ball, happy to once again use his skills in fashion. "Do you have a preference in mind?" He asked, already forming an idea in his head. Lucy shook her head with a chuckle. "No, I was actually thinking of letting you take control. You can do whatever you like." Cancer's grin widened even further at her words. "Thank you! I'll make sure you're the most beautiful girl there. Would you like a complete surprise?" Lucy smiled and agreed, closing her eyes to let him do his magic.

There was a few hums and sighs from the crab spirit as he looked through Lucy's wardrobe. It was silent for a bit as he gathered all the items he was going to dress Lucy in. Instead of physically dressing her, he used magic to instantly dress her. Lucy could feel the change on her skin as Cancer decided on a final outfit to dress her in. "Please keep your eyes closed as I style your hair." Lucy did as she was told, clenching her eyes shut against the temptation to peak at her appearance. She trusted Cancer enough to know that she would indeed look beautiful, but she was still curious.

"You can open your eyes now Lucy." Cancer returned to the spirit world before she had the chance to, leaving her to admire his handiwork. Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped in awe at her reflection. She looked beautiful and regal for her coronation but Cancer had made her look so mature and perfect in every way. He kept her dress simple, picking a tight black backless dress with a slit up the right leg and a low cut neckline. He paired it with sparkling silver heels and black silk gloves that reached just above her elbows. He kept the pendant that Demeter gave her but fashioned it into a shorter chain to rest between her collarbones. Her hair was styled into long waves with the left side pinned back to her ear with a diamond clip. There were diamond earrings hanging from her earlobes to match her hairclip. Her crown was also sitting gently atop her head.

Lucy couldn't believe her eyes, the person in the mirror just couldn't be her. But it was. She didn't realise she could look so beautiful. "Woah..." Lucy couldn't take her eyes off herself. She glanced at the clock on her wardrobe and saw that she still had half an hour before the ball began. She decided to hide her keys on her garter belt on her left leg so they would remain close to her. She unlocked her door and left her room.

She began walking down the corridor, feeling strange walking alone after usually having someone walking with her everywhere. She didn't even make it two doors down before a voice yelled at her to wait. "Luce!" Igneel made Lucy turn around to face him. He was jogging towards her to catch up but after seeing her beauty, he slowed in his tracks. "Woah..." He all but whispered, staring at Lucy. "You look..." He trailed off, admiring the blonde. He couldn't describe her in words well enough to finish his sentence. Lucy blushed, smiling at his adoration. "You looked beautiful before but now you look just... breathtaking." Lucy gently pushed his shoulder, chuckling at him.

"Maybe if you were a few hundred years younger." She joked. Igneel snapped out of staring at Lucy and laughed at her joke. "Are you sure I can't tempt you?" He raised an eyebrow suggestively. Lucy laughed along with him. "Shut up." He frowned playfully before laughing it off. "Well, a pretty lady like you shouldn't walk alone, let me escort you." He offered his arm, which Lucy gladly accepted. They began walking forward. "I thought the ball wasn't for another half an hour?" Lucy asked, confused why Igneel was leading them towards the balcony at the top of the ballroom. He gave Lucy a confused look too. "No. It's starting now." Lucy shrugged, she must have gotten the times wrong.

"You know, there's a lot of male suitors there tonight. I'm gonna bet you're gonna have to fight off all of them." Igneel joked. Lucy grimaced. "Really?" That was the worst part about being royalty. Even before she was crowned queen, there were men an dragons alike trying to gain her attention and affection. Some were out for power, others just wanted to say they wooed a princess and the rest were just delusional. "They're so cheesy and gross." Igneel laughed at her soon to be suffering. "Good luck Luce." She shot him a look, finding it far from funny.

"Shut up, you don't know what they're like." She groaned at the thought. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you and if things get out of hand I'll rescue you." Lucy relaxed and thanked him. They stopped outside the doors leading to the ballroom balcony. "Stay here, I'll tell them you're here so they can announce your arrival." Lucy nodded, feeling anxious to be announced as a Queen for the first time. Igneel was only gone for a few seconds before he came back to lead Lucy into the ballroom.

"Please welcome Queen Lucy Hearfilia and Lord Igneel Dragneel!" Lucy held onto Igneel's arm tightly, nervous for all the pressure that rested on her shoulders now. She had to maintain a regal and elegant manner. The crowd applauded yet again for their queen. The pair began walking down the carpeted marble stairs. "I think we're the last ones to arrive." Igneel whispered to Lucy as he looked around the large ballroom. Lucy sighed. _Great, I'm late_. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. They were staring and she didn't know whether to feel flattered or nervous. She made sure to keep a smile on her face so as to not show how nervous she was.

The cheering died down as they reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone flocked closer to try and be the first to steal the attention of Lucy.

/

It had been a _long_ few hours before Lucy could leave the ball. The attention was fun at first for Lucy but it grew tiresome very quickly, boring the blonde. Thankfully, there was always Igneel, Metalicana or Datura to step in to rescue her from the bland conversations or touchy-feely men. The three of them disliked large social gatherings just as much as Lucy did. However, it was all over now and Lucy made it out in one piece.

First thing on her list now was to find Demeter, who couldn't attend. The queen eventually came across a guard monitoring the hall she was walking down and asked for Demeter's whereabouts. "She's in the garden Your Majesty." The guard asked if she would like to be escorted but Lucy declined. The blonde made her way towards the garden, curious why Demeter wanted to see her so late in the day. The sun had already begun to set by the time Lucy managed to escape. Once in the grand garden, Lucy easily spotted her 'adoptive' mother facing away from her. She liked to call her that in her head. "Demeter!" Lucy yelled at her distance, alerting the former queen of her presence. She didn't turn around, much to Lucy's confusion and stayed facing the bright sunset.

Demeter sensed Lucy getting closer. "Did you enjoy the ball?" Demeter asked softly. "It was fine, nothing different from the other ones." Lucy replied honestly, now standing next to the celestial dragon. A chuckle left Demeter and Lucy followed. "You'll get used to them." Lucy nodded in agreement. There were a few moments of peaceful silence until Lucy finally broke it. "Why did you ask to see me tonight?" Demeter tore her eyes away from the lowering sunset to look down at Lucy. "You looked the most beautiful I have ever seen you today. I couldn't be prouder." The dragon turned back to face the sunset.

Lucy thanked her, but didn't understand why she avoided her question. "Can you promise me something?" Her words were directed to Lucy but it seemed as though she was talking to the sky. "What is it?" Lucy asked, shifting closer to her beloved mentor. A tear gently fell from Demeter's cheek. "Promise me you will do better than I did." Lucy frowned at Demeter, confused by her request. She decided against asking her what she meant and promised her nevertheless.

The sunlight grew even dimmer, it was only minutes before the sky would be enveloped in black clouds and twinkling stars. "I have another favour to ask of you." Lucy turned her gaze back to Demeter, this time the dragon was also facing Lucy. "Of course." Lucy smiled up at her. "I need you to return to Earthland." Lucy was even more confused by this request. "Why?" She couldn't stop herself from asking this time. Demeter sighed, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I don't have enough time to explain it to you now but there is a black notebook in the top drawer of my bedside table. Read it. The others will be here to look over the kingdom while you're gone so there is no need to worry."

Lucy didn't know what to make of this situation. She had just pledged a vow to protect and rule over the Dragon Realm and now Demeter is asking her to leave it so soon? It just didn't make sense. "Lucy..." Lucy was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't realise the change in Demeter. Her large body started to glow in a soft golden light, just as the last moments of light were sinking into the ground. "What's happening?" Lucy gasped, grabbing hold of Demeter's paw only to have her hand fall through air. "What's happening to you?!" Lucy panicked, not ready to lose Demeter just yet. She knew their time together had been cut short but she could never have enough time to prepare herself for her absence.

"It's okay Lucy, I'm ready to go now. It's my time to set, just as it is your time to rise." Lucy didn't even bother to hold back her tears, letting them smudge her makeup and soak her cheeks. "No, I can't lose you. I've lost everyone I've ever been close to. It's not fair that I should lose you too." Demeter's ghostly head was all that remained to gently kiss Lucy atop her head before she was gone. " _Goodbye dear Lucy_." Vanished into the night sky.

Lucy was left sobbing alone in the grass, gripping Demeter's pendant tightly to her chest. "It's not fair!" She yelled out to no one. She sensed her body temperature dropping rapidly, frost forming at her fingertips. She had to let go of the pendant in fear of freezing the precious memorabilia. Upon closer look, she realised there was a constellation engraved right in the centre of the pendant. Once that she didn't recognise. She looked up with blurry vision but it was clear as day, the same constellation shining brighter than any other star. "I'll never forget you." Lucy whispered, bringing the pendant up to her lips.

She wanted nothing more than to just lay there in sorrow and mourn for the death of Demeter but she knew better. She forced herself to stand and walk back towards the castle entrance. She walked backwards, never taking her eyes off the constellation.

* * *

 **Sorry for the huge wait, but hopefully there will be more action in the upcoming chapters.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, sorry to return with a bit of a dull chapter, but hopefully the pace will pick up soon :)**

* * *

 **~Chapter 15~**

* * *

"She's... dead?" Venus all but choked out. Lucy was stood facing all of the dragons inside the castle, having gathered them to inform them of the sad news. "I'm sure she's in a better place." Igneel placed his hand on Lucy's drooped shoulder. The blonde's head hung low in sorrow. All of the dragons had prepared themselves for this moment so that they could be there for Lucy when the time came. Grandine sighed in despair and moved forward to pull Lucy into a comforting embrace. "She meant so much to all of us." The older woman patted Lucy on her back, in hopes her affection would soothe Lucy.

While she appreciated her mentors' comfort beyond words, she didn't want to feel their gazes on her any longer. They had been there from the start of her journey but she still had a reputation to uphold as queen. "I'm sorry, but I need to be alone right now." Lucy gently pulled away from Grandine and away from everyone else. "We understand." Raghnall smiled at Lucy as she proceeded to reach the stairs, seeming to go to her room. Lucy nodded her head as thanks with a small but genuine smile. As she turned to elevate up the stairs, she could feel all of their eyes on her for what felt like an eternity before she was out of sight.

Once she was out of their view, she quickened her pace, a goal etched in her head. Demeter's chambers. Through her undoubtable remorse was the lingering reminder of the notebook Demeter asked her to read. It didn't take her too long to reach her destination, quickly locking the door behind her incase this was a private matter. She glanced around to scan for any cleaning maids and thankfully, she found none. She headed straight for the drawer and pulled it open with a trembling grip. She sat down on the bed while she completed her task.

Sure enough, the notebook was there, but it wasn't the only item hidden away. Beside the book was a letter. It was addressed to 'The True Dragon King' but Lucy couldn't help her curiosity. She picked out both the letter and the notebook, placing the old book by her side and opened up the slightly ripped and rather old parchment that was tied by an old and frail piece of ribbon. The letter read as such;

 ** _Your Majesty,_**

 ** _I regret to inform you that Acnologia's vanquishing leaves many Dragon Slayers and Dragons dead and some half-dead. The latter includes Igneel, Grandine, Metalicana, Raghnall, Donar, Venus, Weisslogia and Skiadrum. The Dragons listed have managed to preserve their life force inside of their own Dragon Slayers and other humans. The Erthernano here isn't potent enough to help preserve their life forces. Zeref Dragneel and I have formed a plan to open the Eclipse Gate. One of my descendants will be there to open the other side of the gate. While the Dragon Soul Magic saved the Dragons, to ensure their safety, I ask you to return them to the Dragon Realm. You already realise that they can only leave their home realm once before having to return forever. This may be the last you hear of me._**

 _ **Sincerely, Anna Heartfilia** _

Lucy had to read the letter countless times before the information properly sunk into her brain, the shock taking over her body. She had far too many questions running through her head. _So I lose Demeter and now I find out all of my friends are near enough dead? Not to mention my ancestors were associated with dragons before me? Was my mother was involved too?_ The letter included two other dragon names; Weisslogia and Skiadrum. Lucy had never heard of them before. She suddenly remembered about the notebook and swapped the parchment for the notebook, hoping it would provide answers.

She flicked through the notebook, only coming across blank pages. She kept searching the book until she reached the very last page in the book. There was another note, this time addressed to Lucy.

 ** _My dear Lucy, I am sure you read the parchment I left for you to find. I know you will have many questions but I'm afraid I won't be here to give you the answers. I know I'm asking a lot of you on your first official day as Queen, but I would not ask you if it wasn't dire. You will notice the two names unrecognisable on the parchment. My father was unable to find the two Dragon Slayers that are hosting Weisslogia and Skiadrum's life force. Up until recently, we haven't been able to locate them. We found them joining a guild called Sabertooth. You'll need to gain their trust before you can extract the two Dragons from them and return them safely to the Dragon Realm. I'm afraid I do not have any more information to give you, but I leave their fate in your capable hands. Be safe dear, I love you._**

By the end of the note, Lucy could barely read Demeter's words through her watery eyes. "Oh my god..." Lucy choked out, holding the book tightly in her hands. There were so many emotions she was feeling that she didn't know what she felt more. She was angry from her family keeping more secrets from her. She was upset from the news of her family being close to death. She felt confused about her biological family and their tie to dragons. She felt scared about completing a mission so intricate and also determined to not let down those who needed her help.

She felt overwhelmed by her own array of emotions and even more so by the sentiment Demeter finished her note with. Demeter had never spoken those words to Lucy before. Lucy knew they had a strong bond like that of a mother and daughter but they never verbally expressed it. With a surge of magic from all of her emotions, Lucy ripped out the page with the note on and grabbed the piece of parchment before leaving the room. She wiped away her tears, not caring about ruining her makeup that was most likely already smudged.

She wanted answers. And she was going to get them.

* * *

"Are you sure about this Lucy?" Grandine asked, clasping her hands together in worry. "I promise I'll be fine." Lucy smiled and grasped Grandine's hands into her own, gently squeezing them.

It was now the morning after Demeter's passing and Lucy had announced that, from strict orders from Demeter, she had to leave for Earthland immediately to complete a secret mission. Of course nobody agreed with the idea and tried to convince Lucy otherwise and advise against it, but Igneel stood in favour of Lucy's quest. If Demeter gave her orders, who were they to tell her otherwise? The least they could do to honour Demeter's death would be to carry out her last wish. After that argument, everyone seemed to agree, though begrudgingly.

Lucy informed them all that she wouldn't know how long she would be gone for, only that they shouldn't expect her back too soon. They were used to Demeter leaving for missions in Earthland or other realms for long periods of time so they could take care of Lucy's duties while she was gone. Lucy decided the best option was to just Requip all of her clothes and items into a storage dimension and only carry the bare minimum necessities on her body. It only took her a matter of minutes before she was all ready to leave.

The first thing on Lucy's list was travelling, but wanted to change her appearance. She summoned Cancer to completely change her hair style and colour. Currently her hair was incredibly long and blonde but she decided to change her hair to a deep brown with turquoise streaks and cut to the base of her shoulders. She was wearing a baggy pair of dark grey joggers, a white bandeau top that revealed a section of her toned abdomen, an oversized denim jacket and brown walking boots. She grinned at her reflection- she never would have recognised herself, comparing to what her last appearance in Earthland looked like. She was still going to keep her name, but after all this time she wanted to at least look different. She wasn't the same Lucy.

Her pendant still rested on her collarbones and her keys now were tied to the belt loop of her trousers. She had a small wealth of jewels on her to not look suspicious by having riches in her pockets. If she needed more money, she had also stored plenty away for her to use. Raghnall had given her a small anklet to conceal her magical aura from other wizards, so not to give away her powerful stature. It was a thin golden band with a star dangling against her ankle, it was a cute accessory so she thought it was a shame for it to be hidden underneath her boots and cozy socks.

"It'll be morning in Earthland soon, I should be going now." Lucy smiled at everyone that gathered around her to give her a group hug goodbye and wish her a safe journey. From all of her completed training with Raghnall, she was able to make her own direct portal to Earthland. "You have a Lacrima Crystal to contact me if you need to, I'll try to keep in contact as much as I can. Goodbye everyone!" Lucy waved them off as she stepped into her portal before closing the entrance once she exited out the other side.

It was a sad sight to watch their gloomy faces shrink in the distance and disappear. Lucy had created a portal to the same cave Demeter had taken her to the Dragon Realm. Within moments of the portal closing, Lucy's posture slumped with sadness. She wanted nothing more than to spend her days mourning the loss of another person dear to her heart. She wanted to hear her voice again and see her face. She needed her guidance. But, she couldn't be selfish. The lives of dragons depended on her.

The silence of the cave was both calming and unsettling. She had become accustomed to loud noises and arguments so much that dead air was a foreign concept now. It didn't take Lucy long to find her way out of the cave with her newly accustomed dragon senses. Even with her impeccable hearing, it still seemed too quiet for Lucy. Perhaps it was because it was still dark out, the sun yet to have risen. She decided to call one of her spirits for company.

She grabbed a key from her chain and cut the air with it, using the action to summon her spirits rather than calling out their names like she would in a battle. This new trick made it easier of she needed to use the element of surprise. Light glowed from the key and her spirit appeared just as she placed their key back on the chain. "Hello Vulpecula." Said spirit was sat in front of her master with her tail wagging in excitement. "What can I do for you today Your Majesty?" Vulpecula asked with a toothy grin. Lucy shook her head with a smile, petting the fox gently on top of her head.

"Would you like to accompany me on my journey? The silence is annoying me." Vulpecula nodded her head so fast it made her dizzy. "Of course!" Lucy smiled at her enthusiasm. "Great but I have some new rules. Number one, you can't call me 'Your Majesty' and neither can any of the other spirits." Vulpecula nodded and followed as Lucy began walking out of the cave, into the dense forest. "Oh and I'll need you to change into your human form. You won't be allowed on the train in your fox form." Vulpecula agreed with a smile, taking the form of a human.

It wasn't the first time Lucy had witnessed Vulpecula's human form as she often combatted with her spirits to strengthen both herself and her spirits. Vulpecula had a russet brown skin tone and fiery red hair, the same as her fox coat. Her hair was permanently slick back and reached her shoulders but had two strands at the front that were a peach colour and fell down beside her face to tickle her neck. Her eyes were a icy blue and matched the blue ribbons around her ankles. She wore a plain white short sleeved t-shirt with neon pink cargo trousers and a pair of lilac trainers. She specialised in Fire Magic so she didn't require a coat since her body temperature was always higher than average. But the one thing that was the most noticeable was her height; standing at just 5ft exactly. Lucy noticed that she had changed into more modern clothing compared to her traditional outfit. It was a good idea since Vulpecula would stick out like a sore thumb. "Great, lets get a move on." Lucy said, now heading through the thick forest, Vulpecula trailing after her.

It didn't take them long to reach the edge of the forest where it met the village. The sun had came up while they were hiking and by the time they reached the village, it was full of liveliness and chatter. Clover Town, Lucy recalled from when she first ventured here. "Come on, if I remember right, the train station is just straight through here." Lucy gestured for Vulpecula to follow her. As they made their way into the village, Vulpecula couldn't contain her excitement, having never seen a human village up close before. Her eyes kept staring at all the clothing shops and her nose kept following the scent from the bakeries. Lucy chuckled at Vulpecula's faces. The vixen's tongue kept flopping out of her mouth and drooling.

"Are you having fun?" Vulpecula shook her head to knock herself back to her senses and apologised for being embarrassing. "It's alright." Lucy waved it off, finding it perfectly innocent. It wasn't long after that Vulpecula fell back into a drooling state, smelling a batch of freshly baked pastries. "It smells so good." Vulpecula licked her lips at the scent surrounding her nose. "Are you hungry?" Lucy began walking in the direction of Vulpecula's eyes and found the bakery responsible for her spirit's slobbering state. Lucy bought a pastry to satisfy the fox. "Thank you!" Vulpecula grinned, gladly accepting her gift. Lucy was more than happy after seeing the glee in her face. They kept walking through the town, the train station coming into their view.

By the time Vulpecula had finished her treat, they had reached the train station. Lucy told Vulpecula to wait close by while she bought the tickets. She had hoped the person working the ticket stand would know about Sabertooth, she had no idea where it was located. When it came to Lucy's turn in line, she greeted the man behind the ticket stand. "This may sound like an odd question but would you happen to know where the guild Sabertooth is located?" The man nodded with a smile. "I do actually, it's in Crocus." Lucy thanked the man and bought two tickets to Crocus.

"He was very helpful." Lucy smiled as she walked back towards Vulpecula, who was stood staring at the birds in the sky. "Come on, the train is going to arrive soon, let's head to the platform." It wasn't long before the two were boarded on the train. It wasn't too busy so they could have a booth to themselves. "This is fun." Vulpecula grinned, looking out of the window and swinging her legs. Lucy nodded in agreement, the change in scenery was long overdue. The Dragon Realm was quite big but with it's borders she felt almost trapped. The train ride was going to be almost 6 hours long to get from a village at the edge of Fiore to the centre city.

Vulpecula kept herself busy by looking and pointing out of the window until she eventually fell asleep 2 hours in the journey and returned to the Spirit Realm. Lucy had her arm placed on the windowsill and her head rested in her open palm. It was now her turn to stare out the window to admire all of the passing scenery. With all of this peace and quiet, her mind didn't take long to take her back to the night before. Lucy's frown of concentration was hidden behind her hand and she soon got lost in thought.

 _Lucy let her body take her where she needed to go though she didn't know where that was going to be just yet. She let her memory guide her through the hallways and the many portraits. She couldn't stop crying so her hands kept repeating the action of wiping away the liquid pooling in her eyes, trying to keep what little composure she had left. Before she realised it, her body had slowed down and her destination was only a few doors ahead. A few steps more and she paused. A door to her left was the clearest thing in her view, everything else a mess of colours._

 _She read the plaque on the door and knew this is where she needed to be. Hurt and confused, her hands could only create a small thumping that vaguely resembled knocking. Thankfully, the person on the other side of that door had impeccable hearing. She heard the scuffling around and the soft footsteps towards the door. She heard the quiet creaking of the doorknob as their hand wrapped around the wooden structure and pulled it open. She prepared herself for the sympathetic look she would see as soon as they would see her in such a vulnerable state._

 _"Luce?" Lucy sniffled, not moving but staring him dead in the eyes. Their eyes seemed to have their own conversation through the silence of the hallway. "Come inside." Within the time Lucy had spent in the Dragon Realm, she had grown closest to Igneel and Demeter. Demeter was the mother she lost all those years ago and Igneel greatly resembled the friend she needed more than anything. It wasn't uncommon for guards or friends alike to find Igneel and Lucy spending their free time together. He wanted to hear all about Natsu and Lucy felt as though she was reliving her friendship through Igneel._

 _The man moved aside to let Lucy enter his chambers. She knew it was late and she was intruding, Igneel dressed in only a bed robe emphasised that. He shut the door behind her and gently placed a hand on her back, guiding Lucy to sit down on his bed. Seeing his friend in such a state truly upset him and all he wanted was to make her happy again. "What's wrong?" He sat down to the right of Lucy but gave her enough space so she didn't feel suffocated. It was then that he noticed the papers in her hand. When she didn't answer his previous question, he gently put out his hand._

 _She understood and slowly raised her hand to drop the papers in his palm. The papers were even more crinkled from Lucy's firm grip but he carefully opened them up to read. "Is this what's wrong?" Igneel asked before reading, not expecting an answer back. The room was so quiet that all of the small sounds sounded so loud to their sensitive ears. Lucy couldn't hear anything other then Igneel's calm breathing and the gentle crinkling of the paper in his hands. All Igneel could hear was Lucy's sniffling, which she had managed to calm down a bit. Just like Natsu used to, Igneel had a calming effect on her._

 _As soon as Igneel had read both notes, he placed them beside him. His hands moved to his face, rubbing his forehead and cheeks in frustration. Lucy didn't say anything, waiting for Igneel's reaction. He moved his right hand from his face and through his hair and turned to face Lucy with a guilty look. "I'm sorry. We've been hiding a lot from you." Lucy nodded, he hit the nail on the head. That was what hurt her the most, especially from Igneel and Demeter. She thought they had gotten closer than that. "We just didn't want you to spend all of your time worrying about us."_

 _He shuffled closer to Lucy and placed his left arm around her, her head now hung low and her eyes staring at the floor. He rubbed her side, placing his head atop of hers. The affection did bring Lucy comfort in her incredibly emotional state. "I know you have a million questions. I'll answer them. I owe you that much." Lucy nodded again and gently moved out of his embrace. She positioned herself to face Igneel and he did the same. "Are you dead?" She choked out, staring at him with hopeful eyes. He sighed heavily. "In a sense." Lucy averted her gaze from disappointment. "We're very much alive in this realm. We were born here so what's left of our life force was able to tap into it's magic to keep us alive. We age a lot slower here. We each have one chance to leave this realm for a limited time but after that, we'll be forced to return here forever."_

 _"What do you mean 'what's left' of your life force?" Lucy asked, looking back at Igneel. "It's a long story." He scratched the back of his neck. "I want to hear it." Lucy spoke in a soft but demanding voice. Igneel let out the breath he was holding while he was thinking and clasped his hands together. "Well, I might as well tell you the whole thing, it'll answer all your questions. The story starts over 400 years ago." Lucy shuffled around to get comfy._

 _"There was a war between the dragons. The first side wanted to keep domination over humans and hunt them, and the second side wanted to live together in peace. The second side was losing. One human had the idea of teaching humans Dragonic Magic and creating Dragon Slayers. So we did. A dragon of every element taught a human child or adult their magic. Children had more potential but the adults got accustomed to it quicker. One of those adults was Acnologia. A dragon from the first side had killed his family. While every other Dragon Slayer was just killing dragons of the opposing team, Acnologia went on a murderous rampage and killed every single dragon he could. He killed so much and abused his magic to the point that he eventually turned into a dragon." Lucy had subconsciously leaned closer, listening to Igneel's every word._

 _"If he didn't kill them, he used magic to take their souls and leave them in a half-dead state. That includes Metalicana, Raghnall, Venus, Grandine and everyone else including myself. The only exceptions are Werner and Datura. At that time, Werner was stationed to protect the King and Datura was a younger dragon so they were both here, away from the wrath of Acnologia. Thankfully, he never found an entrance to the Dragon Realm. To save ourselves, we used our Dragon Slayers as a host for our souls. We needed the Ethernano in the air to heal but it wasn't rich enough in the air. So, a plan was devised between Zeref Dragneel and Anna Heartfilia." Lucy's eyes widened. "Zeref Dragneel? Anna Heartfilia"_

 _Igneel nodded. "I'll get back to that afterwards." Lucy frowned slightly but didn't complain. "We were going to use the Eclipse Gate to travel into the future when the Ethernano would be more potent and we could heal properly. We couldn't return here because we were too weak to travel to any portals and Acnologia hadn't stopped. Anna Heartfilia was the mage to open the Eclipse Gate so that would mean only a Heartfilia could open the other side for the exit. Each descendant knew of this duty they had to keep but it wasn't until your mother, Layla Heartfilia, was born that the Ethernano was rich enough to open the portal. On June 7 X777, your mother opened the portal, 400 years later." Igneel lowered his gaze from Lucy "I'm afraid that that was what killed her. Opening the exit took a lot of magic away from her and she died from it."_

 _Lucy didn't know what to do with that information. Instead of waiting, Igneel continued his story. "As soon as we crossed over to the other side, a few dragons from the Dragon Realm had come to rescue our weak life forces. Only, two of the Dragon Slayers had somehow landed in a different location and we never found them. They are still hosts to their dragons. As long as those Dragon Slayers are alive, Weisslogia and Skiadrum are too." Lucy's head was in her hands. She still had questions. "But Natsu said you abandoned him?" Igneel nodded. "Well, when we used them as hosts, it can alter their memories. So instead of coming through the portal 400 years later with my life force inside him, he thinks I just left him one day. There was a good from it though."_

 _"What was it?" Lucy asked. "Well, with us inside their bodies, we created antibodies to prevent them from ever turning into a dragon themselves. It's the only way to prevent it from Dragon Slayers." Lucy stared him dead in the eyes. "Does that mean..." Igneel nodded and grabbed Lucy's hands in his own. "Yes. Eventually you will become a dragon. I don't know when but don't worry. It isn't a permanent state. You were born human so that is your natural state." Lucy thought it was stupid of her to never think of it before. How could she rule over dragons as a human? It was only common sense. But that was the future, she could worry about that later._

 _"You said Zeref Dragneel? Natsu has a relative?" Igneel nodded. "He doesn't remember him if he hasn't mentioned it to you. Zeref is Natsu's older brother. Zeref is immortal so he's still out there." Lucy nodded, taking all of the information in. "So, Acnologia is still out there?" Lucy asked with fear in her voice. Her hands squeezed Igneel's gently. He nodded. "He tried to attack your old guild. He might have gone into hiding for now. Werner told us that Zeref was there. I can only assume that Zeref tried to weaken Acnologia." Lucy looked at Igneel with a small smile. "Thank you."_

 _Igneel took his turn to softy squeeze Lucy's hands. "Of course. I only wish we had told you sooner. Demeter was afraid it would deter you from your studies and training." He took one of his hands and with careful movement, tucked the hair falling in front of Lucy's face behind her ear. Lucy returned the affection with a bigger smile. "I understand." Igneel felt relieved. He would never forgive himself if she was upset or angry at him. It was strange... Even though she was much younger than him, he felt emotionally on par with Lucy. Their friendship was precious to him, as equally as Natsu._

 _There was a comfortable silence now, all anger and sadness faded away. Igneel spent the silence staring at Lucy, who was staring at their intertwined hands. She really was incredibly beautiful. More so than when they first met. She had matured mentally and physically. He originally thought of her like a daughter until one day she reciprocated his playful flirting. They allowed themselves to be more free around each other, an escape from all of the formalities. She was a perfect woman and he was definitely jealous of the man that would win over her heart._

 _"I know what I have to do now." Lucy broke the silence with a determined nod. She looked at Igneel but it sounded more as though she was telling herself. Igneel smirked to himself. He was glad to see the change in her already. "You should get some sleep, you'll have a big day tomorrow."_

* * *

 **This chapter nearly ended in a different direction XD Also I had to do a lot of research for this cause I haven't seen Fairy Tail in a while but still tweaked it to fit the plot P.s. Nobody knows where Sabertooth is located so I just put it in a major town**


	16. Chapter 16

**The plot is picking up the pace a bit now, we'll see some action soon. I've decided that I'll be posting weekly on a Wednesday for this story :)**

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 **~Chapter 16~**

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A jolt in the train tracks brought Lucy back to reality. Her day dream only took up twenty minutes, though it seemed longer in her head. She still had three and a half hours to waste before she would reach Crocus. She remembered seeing a trolley of newspapers and magazines next to the train's doors and went to grab one. It would be good to catch up on all of the latest news and events. Sitting back in her booth, she glanced at the front page. She used to see Mirajane modelling on the front cover but this time it was a mage called Jenny Realight from Blue Pegasus. She was certainly a rival of Mirajane's good looks.

There was a headline near the top of the front cover about the current guilds and their rankings. It peaked Lucy's interest but she couldn't help but notice the issue date printed just above the headline. "September 2 X787?" She had only spent 2 years in the Dragon Realm. _Time must work differently there. If it's been four years since I left Fairy Tail but it's only been two years in the Dragon Realm, one year in the Dragon Realm must equal to two years in Earthland._ Lucy made the quick calculation in her head, solving her confusion. "So that means Fairy Tail has been frozen in time for three years already..." Lucy mumbled to herself, trailing off.

She shrugged her shoulders, they weren't going to be a problem to her for another four years. She returned her focus back to the magazine, flicking through the pages to find the guild article. She wondered if there were many other guilds formed when she left.

 **No. 1: Sabertooth**

 **No.2: Lamia Scale**

 **No.3: Crime Sorciere**

 **No.4: Raven Tail**

 **No.5: Blue Pegasus**

 **No.6: Mermaid Heel**

 **No.7: Quatro Cerberus**

 **No.8: Twilight Ogre**

 **No.9: Fairy Tail**

Lucy didn't know how to feel about the current rankings. First of all, she had never heard of Twilight Ogre, it must have been a new guild and a powerful one if it could beat Fairy Tail in rankings. She suddenly felt nervous about Sabertooth being the highest ranking guild in Fiore. Not all guilds were like Fairy Tail, the more powerful they were, the more pretentious they became. Arrogant, rude and selfish. If she was to get the two Dragon Slayers to trust and befriend her, she hoped they would at least be easy to get along with. She knew the best way to spend the most time with them and decrease the amount of time she had to spend here would be to join Sabertooth and go on missions with them. She could only guess how that situation would spiral out.

She remembered the guilds Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale. The others must have been newly formed or just recently rose to fame. Along with the rankings, there were updates on the guilds and their members. She went straight to Fairy Tail's, curious to see what caused the rapid decrease in popularity.

 **Yet again, the once thriving guild Fairy Tail remains the weakest guild in Fiore. Maintaining a total of only 15 members and no S-Class mages, they have received zero new members. With the sudden disappearance of Fairy Tail's strongest mages three years ago, we don't know how the guild can return to its former glory. The guild master Macao informed us that they have receive no new jobs in four months. Come on folks, lets help them out like they have helped us in all the years they've stood.**

Lucy frowned at the news. _There was only 15 members? Why had almost all of Fairy Tail disappeared? What required all of them to go to Tenrou Island?_ She wouldn't know for another four years. She moved on from the Fairy Tail paragraph and went back to the top of the page to find out more about Sabertooth.

 **So much has happened to our beloved Sabertooth this past month! A ball was held in their glorious guild hall in honour of their three year victory of being Fiore's strongest guild. All of it's members dressed up to impress their exclusive guests. We managed to sneak a few snaps of the party for you!** **The Twin Dragons of Sabertooth have gained so much popularity that on their last mission to Magnolia they had fans spoil them with gifts at the train station! These 15 year olds have captured the hearts of many young ladies, only time will tell if we will see them with one. Look over to the next page to see an exclusive interview with-**

Lucy stopped reading at that point. The preppy tone of the magazine annoyed her to the core and made her feel sick. But what she could tell, Sabertooth had a higher standard than Fairy Tail. Only the rich and powerful guilds would hold balls with a guest list. Lucy smiled to herself. That was actually one of the good things about Fairy Tail. No matter who you were or where you came from they accepted you with open arms. It just wasn't the case for Lucy. Perhaps she overstayed her welcome. She didn't know why they did what they did. She just knew it broke her heart.

She closed the magazine and put it beside her, finished with the sickly journalists. She checked the time on the clock on the wall opposite her. Still another three hours to go. She guessed she would have to just wait it out. Turning back to the window, she sighed heavily from boredom and crossed her arms over her chest. She forgot how boring riding the train by yourself was.

* * *

The train _finally_ pulled into Crocus and Lucy could have kissed the ground. It was funny to her. She had witnessed Natsu and Gajeel almost throw up on trains or any vehicle but she seemed to be unaffected. The train station was much larger here, after all it was the centre city and the most popular tourist attraction. The place was so crowded to the point where people had to shout to each other just to be heard. There were crying or whining children being dragged by their mothers, travellers yelling at each other about their plans and schedules, business men and women shoving people out of their way so they wouldn't be late. The busyness didn't affect Lucy, a queen had to be used to pressure and mayhem.

She worked her way through the packed train station and out into the giant shopping area of Crocus. It was more spacious but it was just as busy as the train station. She could see why. There were endless shops of all nature; food, beauty, clothes, magic and many more. There was a giant clock tower in the near distance telling her it was 2pm. It would be too late to go venturing for the guild since it'd most like take all day to find it.

She figured she might as well make her trip worth while, deciding to have a look in some of the shops. Her eyes scanned the area slowly. She was pretty hungry so she thought it would be a good idea to get some food. The closest was a sushi bar. Shrugging her shoulders to nobody but herself, she made her way over to the restaurant. There was no queue so Lucy managed to get her food pretty quickly. There were no tables or chairs but she only got a small amount on a little tray so it was easy enough to just eat it as she was walking around.

It had been a while since Lucy got to explore and she was going to take advantage of this trip. Being respectful of the busy shoppers, she stood closer to the walls of the streets of shops. So far, all of the shops around her were restaurants, clothes shops and beauty parlours/shops. It wasn't until she turned a corner into yet another busy street did she find all of the magic-related shops. Finished with her food, she threw away her rubbish and went into the nearest shop; The Silver Sword. This particular shop focused more on magic weaponry. Despite already having a large collection of armour weapons herself, she thought it wouldn't hurt to look.

When she was a member of Fairy Tail, she had a signature weapon; her whip. She no longer carried that on her person, favouring her newer and more advanced swords and katanas. So far, she had just come across less advanced weapons for starting or low level mages, so nothing of interest to her. After looking at every shelf and display the shop offered, she couldn't see anything that was unique or even on par to the weaponry she already owned. The shop keeper had watched her circle around the shop without picking up anything. It was an old woman, short and spirited.

"Good afternoon, anything I can help you with?" The elderly woman asked, hoping she could tempt Lucy to buy something if she engaged into conversation. Lucy smiled and shook her head. "I'm just looking thank you." Lucy was just about to leave, finding nothing of interest when the woman told her to wait. "Excuse me?" Lucy turned back to the woman, confused. "You're a celestial mage right?" Lucy glanced down to the keys gently swaying against her hip. "Yes." She replied, fully turning to the woman.

"We have some celestial keys in stock if you're interested?" It was clear to Lucy that the woman was desperate to make a sale, so she amused her and asked if she could see them. The woman grinned at Lucy and reached down to open a cabinet behind the counter. She took out three boxes, placing them side by side and opening them up to reveal each one to Lucy. The brunette had moved closer now, intrigued to see which keys the woman had in stock. Lucy had studied every known spirit and their corresponding constellation so she recognised each one instantly.

"Canes Venatici, Lupus and Lacerta." Lucy's face perked up at the sight of three rare keys. The woman chuckled nervously. "I'm afraid I don't know their rankings or their names." She seemed embarrassed by her lack of knowledge but Lucy just smiled at her. "These are Canes Venatici; the Hunting Dogs, Lupus; the Wolf and Lacerta; the Lizard." Lucy wasn't stupid, if she told the woman they were rare and powerful, she'd obviously jack up the prices. "Would you like to buy one?" The woman slightly pushed the boxes forward, encouraging the brunette.

Lucy grinned and pulled out her purse. "I'll buy all three." The woman looked shocked. "Really?" Lucy nodded. "Yes, how much?" The woman took a moment to think before coming up with a price. "60,000J" Lucy smiled at the woman and gladly handed over her money, happy at the bargain she just took. "Great. There's no need to bag any of them up, I'll just take the keys themselves." Lucy paused the woman from reaching to wrap her purchase and took the keys out of their respective boxes and added them to her weighty key chain.

Both of the ladies thanked each other before Lucy left the shop. "That went well." She mused to herself with a grin, admiring her new spirits. Overjoyed at her strike of luck, she decided to enter all of the other magic shops. A few hours went by of looking through all of the magic shops and by the end of her venture, she hadn't came across any more spirits, but had found something else. In the last shop, a set of armour was displayed that she had never seen before. It was the legendary Nemean Lion armour. A lot of people wouldn't give it a second glance because of it's appearance but it is one of the most impenetrable armours in the world.

It has a golden helmet connected to a visor which gives the appearance of a lion's head. There was a long royal blue cloak attached to the golden breastplate and lined with a thick golden fur. Across the arms was golden gauntlets carves to look like claws by the fingertips and wild fur up the arms. The poleyn, tasset and greaves were all made with gold and lined with golden fur. Lucy just had to buy it. She had Requipped her purchase to her storage immediately upon purchasing it. She figured that was enough for today, seeing the time was now 5pm.

She had to find a place to stay for the night. She would have just camped out in a forest but Crocus being the centre city, it didn't have any. There were still a few people in the streets so she approached a woman and her daughter in hope of guidance. "Excuse me could you tell me where the nearest hotel is?" The mother gladly pointed Lucy into the direction of a hotel, recommending its service. "Thank you so much." Lucy waved them off and the woman nodded in return.

Thankfully, the hotel had a spare room for Lucy to use. _Seems it's my lucky day today._ Lucy thought as she entered her bedroom for the night. It wasn't an expensive or luxurious hotel so the price was modest and the room was good. It could have been better but all she really needed was a bed and a shower. It was 6pm now so Lucy had plenty of time to kill.

Safety first, she looked around the whole bedroom, checking for any intruders and when she found the all clear, she locked the door. Lucy then headed for the bathroom. It was a simple bathroom with a moderate shower. She wasted no time in starting the water while she Requipped all of her clothes to storage, the water heating up before she stepped in. She wasn't particularly grimy or sweaty from the uneventful day but a shower always made her relax and relieve any stress or tension her body and mind held.

Feeling the soft trickle of the hot water hit her shoulders and chest, her eyes gently closed to get lost in the sensation. Having trained everyday for the past 2 years had made her body more resistant to pain but she still had her fair share of bruising, muscle cramps and tension. There were trained masseuses in the castle but it was often that Lucy didn't get the pleasure to have a massage. So, showers and baths were her only source of relief. Like most people, a shower was her mind's time to run free. She could let her mind be distracted without the threat of death in a fight or being punished for not paying attention. Currently, she was thinking of what would come tomorrow.

She had no plan at all. She couldn't take anything into account because she had very little information. She didn't know what requirements she needed to join Sabertooth, if any, nor who it's members were. She didn't even know who the names of the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth. She knew they probably wouldn't have any knowledge of her from Fairy Tail, she wasn't a core member so not many people knew her.

She could see that her fingers had begun to wrinkle already. She reached out for the shampoo and conditioner for her hair, also getting rid of those annoying itchy lose hairs that fall down your clothes when your hair gets cut. She quickly washed her body before turning off the water and stepping out of the shower, grabbing the towel from the rack attached to the outside of the shower.

Once Lucy had dried her body, she wrapped her hair in the towel. She Requipped into some soft silk pyjamas and headed out of the bathroom to the bed. There was a tv on the wall opposite the bed. Lucy grabbed the remote from the bedside table and turned it on, putting on any random channel. She ended up turning on an action movie that she hadn't seen before. _Must be new_. Lucy thought to herself. The brunette unravelled her towel and roughly drying her hair with the towel. She normally wouldn't have cared about appearance but Sabertooth could have high standards.

She had to look, at the very least, presentable. She got a brush from her storage dimension to brush out all the tangles so it wouldn't be too messy when she wakes up. She put the towel back on the rack to dry before climbing underneath the sheets. It was only 8pm now but she was emotionally and physically exhausted. She tried to keep focus on the movie playing in front of her but her eyes felt so heavy. She gave many attempts to stay awake and pay attention but her body won, pulling her into a deep sleep, the sounds of the movie playing in the far background.


	17. Chapter 17

**Another chapter :D**

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 **~Chapter 17~**

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Lucy jolted upwards, her body forcing her awake. She looked at the window to her right, the sun rise peaking behind the building next to hers. She blinked and yawned. She looked at the clock and saw it was 6am. She shook her head with a smile. She was so used to waking up at that time each morning to Metalicana's knocking that her body has now adapted to her schedule. She rubbed her eyes as she swung her legs over the bed and stretched. Getting up off the bed, she saw that the TV was still playing a morning news show.

She decided to leave it on while she brushed her hair, wondering how to style it. She knew from the pictures of Sabertooth she saw in the magazine, they had a more elegant and feminine standard for the women of the guild. As efficient joggers and hoodies were, there would be no way she'd be accepted into the guild wearing that. It was nice to dress up once in a while, but Lucy wouldn't know if she could keep it up each day. Perhaps she could find her own way to look classy while still being practical.

She wasn't expecting a mission today so she could get away with wearing a dress to make a more impressionable appearance. Once her hair was brushed, she put the brush back into storage and walked into the bathroom. There was a long mirror she could use to assess her outfit. She didn't want to look _fragile_ but not _slutty_ either. Thinking back to her large collection of clothes, she finally pieced together an outfit. Her Requip replaced her pyjamas to her outfit of choice.

She opted for a gold dress with a V-neck cut that revealed a generous amount of cleavage. It had long sleeves that covered her palms to the base of her fingers. The dress reached her ankles but had two slits to reveal a section of her legs. She had a pair of tight brown leather boots that reached a couple inches above her knees, her anklet still hidden underneath. She had a thin brown belt around her waist to clip her keys and money onto. To add a pop of colour to her outfit, she wore a cut out purple jacket with light pink hems. The fabric only covered her arms and shoulders, clasping around the base of her neck. She left her hair down but clipped the front of her hair with two black pins, leaving two turquoise strands out to frame her face. For added detail, she wore a pair of silver dangly star earrings.

Twirling in front of the mirror, she smiled at her reflection. She gave herself a nod of satisfaction. She wondered if she should wear makeup or not. _How much effort should I put in? I could look out of place or I could look bad if I'm the only one not wearing any._ Lucy argued in her head. She saw a few women in the guild photographs wearing makeup so she thought it would be best if she followed suit. She grabbed Cancer's key and opened his gate. He greeted her with a smile, liking her choice of clothes compared to her usual loungewear.

"Good morning Cancer." Lucy smiled at her spirit. "What can I do for you Your Majesty?" Lucy frowned at the name. _Vulpecula hadn't passed on my message._ Lucy sighed and explained the situation to Cancer. "So, you mustn't call me that from now on. I would appreciate it if you could pass along the message to the other spirits please." Cancer nodded. "Of course Lucy. Is that all I can do for you?" Lucy shook her head with a smile. "Would you do my makeup?" Lucy explained the look she wanted and the spirit got to work with a grin on his face, excited to use his skills once again.

"Perhaps when I have free time you can teach me to do this myself." Lucy suggested as Cancer was completing her eye makeup. "Of course Lucy." It wasn't long before she was done, she had asked for a simple look of just making her skin looking a bit clearer, a neutral eye and nude lip. "Thank you Cancer!" Lucy beamed at the difference in her face. Makeup was just as good as magic. Obviously it's not a miracle worker but it still made an improvement. She looked amazing.

The spirit left now that his work was done. Lucy took one last look at herself in the mirror, incredibly happy with her appearance. It was such a change from over two years ago. She would hate looking in the mirror and avoided it at all costs. Even with her mismatched eye that she used to be so embarrassed about, she loved the way she looked. Shaking the bad memories out of her head, she moved out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She was about to turn the TV off when a story about Fairy Tail came on. Without thinking, she turned up the volume.

"Another scandal takes place last night just outside the once powerful guild; Fairy Tail. The guild master Macao is seen fighting another group of mages outside the guild's doors. It is clear from the footage the guild master is drunk and disorderly, throwing punches towards the trio of younger mages." Lucy frowned, turning the TV off, not wanting to hear the depressing reality of Fairy Tail. "What happened to you?" Lucy asked the rhetorical question out loud, saddened by the latest news of Fairy Tail. She was confused why her heart began to hurt at the thought of the terrible state her ex guild was in. She should have been happy, seeing their karma had came back around.

She had said she forgave them to her friends but she always thought she was faking it. Perhaps, she truly had forgave them with her time apart from Fairy Tail. She sighed and told herself to forget about them for now. She wasn't here to patch up the past, she was here on an important mission to rescue Weisslogia and Skiadrum's souls. She made sure she had everything on her person before exiting the hotel room and checked out of the hotel. By now it was 7am and she felt determined. Of course she felt confident too. She was an extremely powerful mage, what guild wouldn't want Lucy? Now she just had to figure out where Sabertooth was.

It was too early in the morning for the streets to be packed so at least she was able to walk freely without being surrounded by hundreds of people. There were a few people out this early, mostly shop keeps beginning to open up or runners going for morning exercise. These people were local so it would be best to ask them where Sabertooth was. She could easily just wander around but it would be quicker to just ask someone for directions. There was a young looking woman to the left of Lucy with tied back blonde hair and tanned skin dressed in plain clothes and an apron tied around her waist.

The woman was carrying stacked boxes of vegetables, presumably to her shop when she suddenly tripped over a rock. The moment her produce was going to hit the floor, Lucy produced a gust of wind on reflex, gently blowing the vegetables back into their boxes. Lucy jogged over to the woman who was now on the floor. "Are you okay?" Lucy held out her hand towards the woman with a gentle smile. The woman grabbed her hand and thanked her. "Are you a mage? Was that you who produced the wind?" The woman asked, wiping the dirt off of her apron.

"Yeah, I did." Lucy shrugged nervously but was met with a grateful smile. "Thank you. I couldn't afford my stock to get dirty." Lucy looked back down at the boxes and picked them up. "Let me help you." She offered. The woman thanked her again and lead the way to her shop. Lucy carried the boxes with ease and set them down in her shop. "Thank you so much, I'm sorry I can't give you-" Lucy shook her head to interrupt the woman. "It's alright, but could you tell me where the guild Sabertooth is?" The woman smiled at Lucy's kindness and gave her the directions. "Good luck!" The woman waved Lucy off as she began walking away.

It didn't take Lucy long to see Sabertooth in sight, the lack of crowds in the street made it a lot easier to see where she was going. Guilds usually have to open early to receive all of the mission fliers and the food and drink supplies so Lucy wasn't worried about potentially having to wait around all day. She was nervous her plan wouldn't work out the way she wanted it to but she was confident she would gain her place in Sabertooth. Getting closer, she heard no shouting nor any brawling. It seemed odd now that she had gotten used to the dynamic between her dragon family and Fairy Tail mages.

She was now stood just outside the guild, her hands hovering over the double doors. She let out a huge sigh, not letting emotions get in the way of her plan. This was a rescue mission after all. She pushed open the doors, letting in a large amount of sunlight into the guild. She forced all emotion to leave her face, putting up a front. The guild looked a lot fancier than Fairy Tail, having marble walls and pillars as decorations and lounge chairs instead of wooden tables and chairs. Looking around, the guild didn't look packed necessarily, mages were scattered all over the hall. Even with a few mages sitting in pairs, none of them were engaged in conversation. The whole guild felt hostile and cold. She walked forward hesitantly, feeling the stares pointed on her as if she had a target on her. She felt extremely out of place and very unwelcome.

Some of the men of the guild were looking at her with hungry eyes. Looking around, Lucy noticed there were no other women around. Despite having gained so much power, it was still a very uncomfortable situation. One man had finally walked over to Lucy with a smirk plastered on his face. He was easily a foot taller than Lucy and looked around the same age as the brunette. He had thick, long and spiky green hair pulled away from his head with a black headband bar two strands that fell down the sides of his face. His eyes were black and focused on Lucy. It creeped Lucy out when paired with his large grin. The man was very large and very muscular, possessing the strength to crush the woman in front of him if he wanted to. He didn't wear a shirt, only wearing a pair of white pants, black shoes and a tiger cloth tied around his waist. He had other accessories such as dark armbands around his forearms and a thick golden necklace. Across his shoulders were black tattoos and his face was painted in a simple and small tribal pattern.

He didn't speak. Recognising this as a power play, Lucy brought it upon herself to start introductions. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy felt very intimidated by the man's large build but knew from his magical aura, she could defeat him in battle. His grin widened to reveal his teeth and he let out a deep chuckle. "Lucy." He spoke her name as though he was trying the name out for himself. Lucy stared up at the man, trying to match his intensity. "Orga Nanagear." He finally revealed his name to which Lucy loosened up slightly. "Nice to meet you Orga." Lucy decided to take the high road, not letting him see her fear of his physical stature. If she was to show a single ounce of fear, he would let it get into his head. He chuckled at her and walked away back to his seat.

Lucy sucked in a breath and began moving forward to the guild's bar. It was much fancier than Fairy Tail's. It was bigger and had metal stools with cushions compared to the hard wooden stools she was used to at Fairy Tail. The countertop was also made of marble. Its surface was so clean she could almost make out her reflection. A man poked his head out from behind the counter, just noticing Lucy's presence. He stood up with a crate of wine bottles and a curt smile. He had slick back brown hair with a few strands falling down in front of his face. His blue eyes pierced into Lucy's. He was wearing a black button up shirt and black trousers along with black formal shoes. He had the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows and the first few buttons undone, exposing some of his tanned chest. "Can I help you?"

"I need to speak to the master of this guild." She spoke in a demanding tone, realising being sweet wouldn't get her anywhere in this place. She would need to be firm to get what she wanted. The man wasn't even looking at Lucy, cleaning some glasses. "He's not in." Lucy felt her anger rising with every moment she spent in the presence of these people. "What do you mean he's not in?" Of course it didn't make sense, he must have been lying to aggravate and toy with her. The man clicked his tongue. "I mean he's not in." Lucy's nostrils flared with impatience.

"Just tell me where he is." Lucy spoke with a sickly sweet smile. Her tone a silent warning of her fury. The man still hadn't even raised his gaze to look at Lucy so he hadn't noticed. "He's not here. What would a little girl like you want with Sabertooth anyway?" Lucy felt a vein burst out of her forehead. _Little girl?!_ Spending so much time with Metalicana, she had adopted his short fuse. She had had enough of people underestimating her. In a flash, she had grabbed the man and smashed his torso against the counter. The man was struggling to breathe from the heavy force she was bearing down on him.

The loud noise gained the attention of the rest of the guild. To her surprise, nobody had rushed over to stop the commotion, rather sitting back and watching with smirks. "Stop being smart and just tell me where he is!" Lucy was now surrounded by a dark aura filled with anger and impatience. She hadn't even given the guy a reason to be so rude to her. She now knew this guild earned respect through fear and power rather than being mature and kind to others. "Up...stairs." The man choked out, unable to move nor breath under her strength. Lucy let him go, satisfied. "Thank you." She gave him a smile that sent a chill down his spine.

She knew all of the men were staring at her but she ignored them. They were nothing but scum. They had no interest in being decent human beings never mind nice ones. If this is what she had to endure to save the dragons, then so be it. If the two Dragon Slayers were half this bad, she would play them at their own game. She had made it to the second floor, now out of view from the intense stares. There were two corridors but Lucy had no idea which one to go down. There were many doors and in a guild like this, who knows if they were hiding something behind one of them.

She was brought out from her thoughts by a loud voice. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Lucy faced the direction of the voice. Suddenly, a door opened to reveal two teenage boys with their heads hung low. Lucy watched as they came towards her. One of the boys had blonde spiky hair and pale skin. His eyes were concealed from the hair in front of his face. He wore a plain white shirt and grey joggers along with black boots. The other had longer black hair and fairer skin. He wore a black cloak to cover the top half of his body but wore black joggers and black boots too. They were walking with two Exceeds, one with a maroon coat and one that was green but wore a pink frog costume.

They weren't watching where they were going and the dark haired boy bumped into her. He stumbled back with his newfound lack of balance but before he could fall back, Lucy reached out and grabbed his hand to pull him back up straight. He looked up to look at Lucy, revealing his sad red eyes. "Sorry." He spoke fast, fear racing through his face. Lucy frowned. It was clear they had been in this guild too long and knew nothing but fear and humiliation. Lucy smiled at him. "It's okay, it was just an accident." She moved out of his way to walk towards the door they just came out of.

The boy kept staring at the woman, shocked at the kindness he had just received. Any other mage in Sabertooth would have punished him for merely bumping into them. The other boy nudged him to keep walking away from the second floor, as far as from who was behind the door. She reached the door that was closed now and knocked politely. She knew the man was already in a bad mood so she really didn't want to worsen it.

His footsteps were so heavy the Lucy could feel the vibrations underneath her feet. Soon enough the man came into view, yanking the door open. He was a large man who was easily 8 foot high with large muscles. He wore a pair of beige trousers and a maroon shirt with only one sleeve, exposing his chest. He wore a ring of large red beads around his neck and underneath his long white beard. His face was pulled into a harsh glare, looking down at the person who dared speak to him. His face slightly relaxed, now confused at the stranger in front of him.

"Who are you?" His voice was still much louder than needed be, she was stood only a foot away from him. "I'm Lucy Heartfilia." He bent down slightly. "What do you want?" His face tightened into a scowl again, a threat to Lucy should she be wasting his time. "I want to be a mage of Sabertooth." He didn't let loose of his expression. "What magic do you have?" Lucy smirked. "I'm a Celestial Dragon Slayer." That seemed to have an effect on him. Lucy relaxed as he eased up, a grin forming out of his frown. "Another one eh." He chuckled to himself. "With three, we'll be the strongest guild there is. Alright you're in."

Lucy was relieved she was accepted but a part of her hoped she wouldn't have to spend her time in such a horrid place. The giant walked into his office before bringing out the guild mark stamp. Without even asking for a colour or placement, he roughly stamped her mark across her left collarbone. A black Sabertooth mark appeared and the guild master slammed his door shut with no other words. Lucy was stood stunned at his behaviour. She couldn't believe the rudeness of everyone in this guild. She would have to make sure not to let them take away her kindness.

She walked away, going back to the stairs. Walking down slowly, so as not to gain too much attention. It would look suspicious to just leave after being accepted into the guild so she looked around to try and find an empty area where she could sit in piece and not too close from all of the horrid men. To her misfortune, there were no empty areas, but there was a spare chair besides the two boys she walked past before. They seemed to be the only ones with any common decency. She walked towards the boys with her head held high.

She wouldn't allow the monsters of Sabertooth bring her down. After all, she was now a tiger too.


	18. Chapter 18

**Here's another chapter :)**

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 **~Chapter 18~**

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Without disruption, Lucy was able to make it over to the two boys from earlier and stood before them. "Is this seat taken?" She asks with a sweet voice. She thought it was cruel how the black-haired boy had feared her when he hadn't even met her before. She couldn't imagine how many times they had been the subject of humiliation. They were still young so she had a plan to implant some manners and kindness into their minds before they would go beyond breaking point. She would have to show them what true friendship meant in the hopes they would follow suit.

The pair turned their heads up to show two confused expressions. The blonde shook his head without saying a word. Lucy smiled down at the nervous boys. It was quite adorable actually. She moved past them and sat in the chair facing both of them. They were looking at her feet, not daring to make eye contact with her. Lucy frowned at their posture. "I don't believe we were properly introduced earlier, I'm Lucy Heartfilia." She leant forward, extending her hand slowly as not to scare them in thinking she would hurt them. Their silence indicated they didn't recognise her name from Fairy Tail, of course she looked nothing like the magazine shoots she did back then.

It was an Exceed that made the first move. They were both hiding behind the chairs but one had the courage to come forward. "I'm Frosch." It was the one in the pink frog costume. The cat raised his paw for Lucy to gently shake. Lucy grinned at his cuteness. "Nice to meet you, that's a lovely costume you're wearing." She paid him a compliment, hoping it would ease the boys' nerves. Frosch blushed and thanked Lucy, his tail wagging behind him. Hearing no signs of belittlement, the boys relaxed a bit and finally raised their heads to look at Lucy. They were met with a comforting smile.

Lucy knew what it was like to be an outcast and she wouldn't want these two children to go through the same pain. "I'm Lector!" The other Exceed burst forward with a puffed out chest and a cocky smirk. Lucy chuckled, reaching down to shake his paw. "That's a smart little vest you have on." She knew he was after his own compliment and gave him one. The now happy cat jumped up into the lap of the blonde boy. Both of them were staring at her and she looked at them expectantly. "Rogue. My name is Rogue." The black-haired boy blurted out. He forced the words out, somehow finding the courage to speak out loud.

Lucy's smile grew, stretching her cheeks. "It's a lovely name, Rogue." She extended her hand for him to shake. With a shaking arm, he clasped his hand in hers and gently shook it. He seemed almost shocked at his actions. She let his hand go quickly, sensing how nervous he was. She shifted slightly to turn to the blonde boy now, waiting for him to introduce himself. "I'm Sting." He straightened up his back and held out his hand, finding a new level confidence. Lucy went to shake his hand but he grabbed her fingers instead and kissed her knuckles. He had a blush across his cheeks and Lucy was now the one who was confused.

 _A moment ago he couldn't even look at me and now he's kissing my hand?_ Lucy thought to herself, gently pulling her hand back from his lips. "How gentlemanly..." Lucy said awkwardly, hoping he wouldn't make a habit of that. She didn't want to crush his newfound confidence even if it made her slightly uncomfortable. It just felt strange coming from someone much younger than herself despite receiving the action so many times before. "Well we're all acquainted now." She smiled, crossing her leg over the other in a formal manner.

"Why don't you tell me a bit about yourselves?" She asked, resting her arms over her lap. She made sure to keep her smile visible. Sting was the first to talk now that he had some confidence in him. "Rogue doesn't talk much. So I'll tell you. We're Dragon Slayers!" It was his turn to puff out his chest with pride. She was glad he was feeling more comfortable around her now. Lucy had had a feeling these were the two she was looking for, though she had thought they would have been older by now, guessing they were the same age as Natsu and Gajeel. Thankfully, children were a lot more trusting so she could make quicker work of this mission.

"Really? What kind?" Lucy made sure to sound impressed, hoping to help rebuild their confidence that had been knocked down in their time in Sabertooth. A flash of joy and excitement crossed their faces. Rogue still stayed quiet though, just watching Lucy's expressions. "I'm a White Dragon Slayer and Rogue is a Shadow Dragon Slayer." Lucy rested her elbows on her knees, placing her head in her cupped hands. "That is just amazing." She chuckled, glancing between the two dragon slayers. "Do you want to know what my magic is?" She spoke in a hushed voice, as though she was revealing a huge secret to just those two.

It peaked their interest, subconsciously leaning forward to hear her. "I'm a Celestial Dragon Slayer." She bit her lip in an exaggerated manner, watching as the corners of their lips twitched into smiles. "Really?" Sting and the Exceeds gasped from excitement while Rogue kept his actions under more control. Lucy nodded her head. "That's right. I'm just like you." The Exceeds were staring at Lucy with awe. "Where's your Exceed then?" Sting asked bluntly but still with a curious smile on his face. Lucy moved a few strands of hair away from her shoulders. "Well, I don't have one." She shrugged. None had ever crossed paths with her.

Frosch began to tear up, thinking that Lucy must have been devastated not to have an Exceed like all other Dragon Slayers. "Fro is sorry Lushy is alone." Lucy felt a twang of pain in her heart. _Happy used to call me that._ She didn't realise her face had mirrored the sadness she felt inside. Frosch had now climbed up her leg and gave her a small hug. "Fro will make the nice Lushy better." Lucy was brought out of her thoughts by his affection. She wrapped her arms around him with a chuckle. "It's okay, I'm alright." His cuteness had already softened her heart. "An old friend used to call me that." She smiled, petting Frosch on the head.

She was glad the cat had already warmed up to her, hopefully his partner wouldn't be too far behind. Of course, animals usually had a sixth sense for that sort of thing. And as if her own senses had heightened further, she felt a chill going down her spine. Looking up, she found the male mage from before staring at her from across the guild. Her eyes narrowed, glaring at the man oogling her. She was disgusted at his lack of shame to hide his perverted gaze. The boys turned to see who Lucy was glaring at. Orga. Lucy felt like barring her teeth at him in a display of warning but decided against the crude action. Demeter taught her that it was an unfit action for a royal, no matter how much she wanted to do it. She looked away from the green-haired giant and returned her focus to the two dragon slayers.

"That's Orga. He's a Lightning God Slayer." Lector spoke in a hushed voice, careful not to let anyone else know they were talking about someone in the guild. Lucy hummed to herself. _God Slayer? Why does he feel so weak? Perhaps he just scares mages away with his physical appearance and the title of his power._ Lucy thought to herself, her hand mindlessly still petting Frosch (who wasn't complaining). "Are there many women in the guild?" Lucy asked the group, curious why she hadn't seen any as of yet. Sting shook his head. "There's Minerva and Yukino and now you. But Minerva's the strongest in the whole guild." Lucy sighed. _Only three women in the entire guild? It's practically perverted._ She didn't know how long she could stay here with the disgusting men staring at her the whole time.

"Do you two do missions?" She wondered if Sabertooth had an age restriction on completing missions or if they only had to be strong to get in and the rest didn't matter? This didn't seem like a guild that cared if you got hurt or not. Rogue nodded his head gently. She grinned at them, finally placing Frosch down on the ground to go back to Rogue. "What do you say about doing a mission with me? It'll be good for practice. I can always go alone if you're not up for it." The pair looked at each other with concentration, as if they were having a conversation in their minds. Lucy watched the silent interaction, waiting for their response. She didn't want to force them to do anything but she wouldn't know when she would see them next if she left today empty handed.

"Okay. We'll do a mission with you, on one condition." Sting grinned smugly. Lucy raised an eyebrow at the blonde, curious to what he had up his sleeve. "And what will that be?" Sting grinned, his fangs exposed. "We get to choose the mission. We don't want to go on some girly mission." Lucy smiled. "That's fine with me. When do you want to do one?" The dragon slayer look at her confused. "Now." His tone mocked her, as if to say 'when else would we go?'. Lucy shrugged, not minding that at all. Anything to get her out of the way of the creepy stares. She could tell the dragon slayers didn't want to be in the guild for much longer either after the treatment they received from Jiemma. "Okay, go pick a mission then." She waved them away slightly. She was really glad they were trusting her, clearly attracted to her kindness. Of course they would choose to spend time in the presence of someone like Lucy than the cold people in the guild. Though she would still make sure to earn their respect. She was older than them by more than a few years so she wouldn't tolerate to be talked down by teenagers.

Frosch and Lector jumped up with enthusiasm, excited to spend time with someone other Sting and Rogue. Of course they were loyal to their dragon slayers but the Exceeds were much more social creatures and liked a change in company. The two Exceeds grabbed the clothing of their respective dragon slayer and urged them towards the mission board. She felt incredibly relieved at how well her plan was working out so far. She just hoped it all went smoothly from here on out, for everyone's sake.

Her smile vanished as she felt the stare return. Her barrier of the dragon slayers were gone now so she was left out in the open for all to see clearly. She was growing tired of the man's lack of common decency and respect for others. Snapping her head towards the giant, she found him smirking at her. _Such a creep! The sooner I get out of here the better._ Her nostrils flared in anger, arms folding across her chest. She turned back to look at Sting and Rogue, opting to ignore the man. She guessed he found her anger and irritation amusing. It only added more fuel to the fire.

The boys returned with a piece of paper in their hands. Her smile returned, seeing their excited faces. Rogue handed the mission request over to Lucy. Her eyes scanned over the words. It was a simple enough mission to kill a monster that was rampaging a village's food supply for the upcoming winter. It was an estimated two week long mission in Shirotsume Town and a prize of 100,000 J. Lucy smiled at the two teens. "This is fine, when do you want to leave? I imagine you'll want to pack for the stay." Lucy suggested, she was ready to go at any time they wanted. All of her things were in a storage dimension anyway.

Sting asked Lucy to meet up in an hour at the train station. Lucy agreed and watched as the pair left with their Exceeds following behind. She still had the mission request, left in charge of reporting to the bar man that they were taking that mission. Thankfully, her approach from before had caused the man to be terrified of her and did as she asked with no problems. Folding the piece of paper up to tuck into her key pouch, she exited the guild. She felt a pair of eyes on her yet again. It only caused her to leave the guild with more haste, wanting to slam the doors behind her.

The moment she was out of Sabertooth, she felt like she could breathe again. The tension and hostility was suffocating but she guessed it would be something she would have to get used to. She let out a breath that she didn't realise she was holding in. She hoped she wouldn't have to see that guy for a while. It was just so annoying to feel him staring at her. It was like he wanted to see her angry.

Grunting in frustration, she made her way towards the shopping centre of Crocus, searching for a bite to eat.

* * *

"Will you two stop fighting!" A frustrated Grandine had finally lost her temper with the hot headed man. The rhetorical question caused the two grown men to part from each other, grumbling to themselves. They had started another brawl for what seemed like the seventh time that day and Grandine had had enough. She didn't know how Demeter had kept them around so long, the nuisances they were. It was different today though, they were fighting even more than usual and it wasn't hard to see why.

The entire castle was preparing for the traditional Royal Memorial of Demeter. Though there was no body to bury respectfully, they still could gather her loving subjects to remember their wonderful former queen. Everyone was still going through the stages of loss, and it didn't help that Lucy wasn't here either to be their source of pain relief. She was a breath of fresh air from spending so much time in the same routine. Igneel took the absence of Lucy harder than anyone else.

Lucy had told them all of her adventures in Fairy Tail and her friendships. It made sense that Lucy and Igneel became much closer, he was exactly like Natsu, based on what Lucy had told them. Only, not as dense and had more respect towards women. As happy as the pair made each other, Igneel was a terrible influence on Lucy. Grandine scolded him to no end to stop inviting Lucy to get involved in his childish pranks and petty arguments. While she received a few bad traits from Igneel and Metalicana, she had picked up a few more traits from Grandine too.

Grandine sighed, rubbing her temples to soothe her forming headache. It had been less than a day when Lucy left and already, Igneel was causing trouble since he couldn't annoy Lucy instead. He was a child. The grown men were muttering under their breaths about who started the argument. Grandine turned to the two men dawdling behind her with a cold glare. "You two are being so childish! You've fought seven times today! Seven!" Her words didn't even register in their brains. "That's not even close to our record." Metalicana smirked at Grandine. Her left eye twitched in annoyance.

"I know it's hard to deal with everything that's happened these recent times but distracting yourselves with petty fights is not the way to deal with your feelings." Grandine spoke in a softer voice. She knew they were just postponing facing their feelings but they had too much work to do to run away from responsibilities. "We're all hurting just as much as each other. But while Lucy's away, we need to run things for a little while." Igneel just stared at Grandine, unsure of what to say. He knew she was right. Even though they all had time to emotionally ready themselves with Demeter's parting, it still hurt nevertheless. Not able to open his mouth, Igneel just nodded at Grandine's words.

She stepped closer to the pair and placed a hand on each shoulder. "Lucy will be back soon enough. Don't worry." Of course, they all had the fear that something might happen to Lucy as well. The world had changed so much since their time on Earthland and who knew of all the dangers Lucy would be exposed to.

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 **Also I know that the chapters vary in size so it might seem disappointing to have a shorter chapter after a really long one. But don't worry, if there's a short one it just means a big one will be coming soon after. :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**We're picking the pace up now :D so happy. Also a lot of you are requesting I post longer and quicker chapters but even in times like these I am quite busy and if I post once a week, it helps me keep on top of the story :) I hope you all understand. (I couldn't post last weeks so I'm posting two this week)**

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 **~Chapter 19~**

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Now with a satisfied appetite and pumped full of energy, Lucy was standing around in the train station. She passed the time by doing some small sight seeing, memorising the streets of Crocus. She was a few minutes early, just waiting for her four mission partners to join her. Just the thought sent her emotions all over the place. She had missed this so much. She missed going on adventures and creating memories with her friends, all the laughs and the adrenaline of a fight. Though she wasn't friends with the dragon slayers yet, she would try to make the experience as fun as she could.

Lucy cherished her time with her old teammates and she would show the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth the reason why. A guild is more than just power. Lucy chuckled to herself. She had resented Fairy Tail for some time and now here she was planning to promote it and everything it stood for to Sabertooth. Sting and Rogue were still nowhere to be seen so she starting tapping her foot out of impatience. They still had a little time before they would be late and it was only thirty minutes before their train would leave. She hoped this wasn't a cruel prank. She would be furious if they deceived the only person to show them kindness.

After staring into the distance, she was brought out of her daze by the sound of her name. "Lucy!" She recognised it to be the voice of Lector. She turned her head to find the group of four walking towards her, the two Exceeds waving at her. She smiled, her worry of being left in the dust now gone. Lucy had already bought their tickets, so she was even more relieved they had shown up. The two teenagers had medium sized backpacks slung over their shoulders. Their eyes scanned Lucy and they became confused. "Where's your luggage?" Sting pointed out. "I can use Requip so all of my things are in a storage dimension." She could see he was impressed at her abilities but said nothing. _It must be a Sabertooth thing..._ She noticed how they didn't like to praise each other but felt no shame receiving it.

"I got our tickets." She handed them each a ticket with a smile and they only looked even more confused and shocked. "Why?" Rogue finally spoke, shifting his gaze from Lucy to the ticket in his hand and then back to Lucy. The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Why what?" They were silent and Lucy clicked on. She spoke with a frown. "Don't tell me you each pay separately? You're partners, friends, you can pay for each other." She said, chuckling through her mini speech, astounded at their ideals. The two boys only shared looks between themselves as if she was speaking in a different language. "You are partners aren't you?" She asked, seeing their confused faces.

"Yeah but..." Sting looked back at Lucy. "That's just the way we've always done it." Lucy sighed, shaking her head. She was about to continue her aimless rant when the train whistled to signal it was time to board. She looked around to see if it was their train, and turned her head back to the dragon slayers when she saw that it was. She had to stop herself shouting at the young boys when they had pulled out their wallets to pay her for their tickets. She shook her hands in front of their faces. "No. Keep your money. I don't want it." The boys were hesitant to put them back, thinking it could be a trick like their superiors often played on them.

"Come on, our train is ready to board." She led the way across the platform and managed to find themselves an empty booth for the five of them to fit into. Sting and Rogue sat on one side while Lucy sat in between Lector and Frosch. Frosch had confessed that he always sat in the window seat and asked to keep his designated seat. Of course, Lucy had no qualms with his request. Though she had plenty of space, the booth felt stuffy with the awkward silence. Looking forward, she saw the two teenagers groaning. Even the thought of travel had their stomachs churning. Lucy forgot about that. She would offer the remedy she used to give Natsu but that would just come across as creepy or she could even place a temporary healing spell on them to balance out their sickness.

The train whistled again, signalling its leave from Crocus. The moment the train moved from stationary, Sting and Rogue felt the effects of their curse. Rogue pushed himself against the window, trying to use pressure as a distraction from his torture whereas Sting had his hands clasped around his mouth and stomach. Both of them had developed a pale green tint to their faces, cheeks puffed out. Lucy had to hide her smile behind her hand, the scene giving her nostalgia of her old missions. She wouldn't want them thinking she was laughing at them, even though the sight was pretty funny.

"As amusing as you both look right now, I can help you." Lucy said, bringing their attention to her. Their eyes were glaring at the brunette, jealous that she was unaffected by the train's movements. She watched as they tried to open their mouths but had to close them in fear of throwing up in the booth. Lucy chuckled at their antics before raising a hand, moving it across them. Suddenly healed, they slouched in relief. "Is that better?" Lucy smiled at them, knowing the answer already. Rogue used his sleeve to wipe away the sweat that had gathered across his forehead and neck. Sting straightened his posture while panting, his breath had made it back to him.

"Why weren't you affected?" He pointed at her, speaking between his large inhales. "I believe the words you are looking for are 'thank you Lucy." She teased. "I can always take away my healing spell." She threatened jokingly but the boys had taken her threat seriously. Their heads were bowed as they thanked her in unison. Sting's voice was more strained, escaping through gritted teeth. Lucy was shocked they hated their motion sickness so much that they would obey her words instantly. She teased them even further, trying to lift their moods and lighten the tension. "So obedient." She clasped her hands together with a fake gasp of surprise.

She couldn't hide her chuckle at their confused faces. "I'm just kidding. Relax." She smiled. "You'll come to find that not everyone in Sabertooth only cares about themselves." She finished her sentence with a frown. It was a sad thought to her that they automatically assume someone would humiliate them or punish them so casually. They knew no fun nor love apart from their Exceeds, which she was glad for. She knew they could have turned out a lot worse if they didn't have the friendship of their Exceeds.

The teenagers didn't say anything, letting the booth return to silence, with the exception of Frosch pointing out different animals they saw going past the train tracks. It was only an hour train ride but it felt like forever. The Exceeds were the first to hop down from their seats, excited to take part in another mission. Lucy made sure to be the last one to leave the carriage, double checking they hadn't forgotten anything. The fresh air was welcomed by the two boys, the cool breeze waking them up from their groggy state. Patting the backs of the younger mages, Lucy walked on ahead to lead the way towards the Mayor's office for more information, remembering the times she had completed a few missions for that town.

* * *

Hours passed, the town now quiet as they walked through its streets. The visit with the Mayor was promising, who had given them a lot of information to use to find the layer of the beast terrorising the town's rations. Instead of going headfirst into the forest to physically hunt the beast like Sting wanted, Lucy took them to the town's library instead. As frustrated as they were that they weren't immediately going after the monster, they didn't argue with their superior. While they believed they were on par with Lucy's magical abilities, they knew she had a range of different magic abilities for a dragon slayer. They didn't know the extent of her magic so she could have been on the same level as, or surpassed Minerva for all they knew.

Though they followed her lead, Lucy wasn't appreciative of the grunts and sighs of boredom Sting kept making. She had told all four of them to search the large library for books on magical creatures, which obviously bored them. Of course, she proved the boy wrong when she uncovered a book about a monster that fit the description of the one living outside of the town. It was a monster that lacked in strength but acquired a large amount of agility and lightness in its steps, making it far too hard to track just from footprints, which it barely left. The book proved itself even more when it showed the trio where its layer would be and how to track it by using a spell.

Sting was far too stubborn to admit he was wrong when Lucy teased the blonde. Of course she didn't take her teasing too far, keeping it lighthearted. She was glad his personality was beginning to show itself to her. The kind approach was working like a charm on the teenagers, it wouldn't take too long before they would trust her and feel safe around her. Perhaps a few months. After spending a lengthy amount of time in the library, it wasn't long before Lector's stomach began to rumble. She let them go to get some food while she went to check the book out of the library.

Exiting the library with the book in hand, she saw none of her partners in sight. She used her dragon sense of smell to follow their scents towards a nice restaurant. Looking through the window, she found them sat in a booth looking at the menus. She was just glad they hadn't ordered yet. She went inside to join them. As soon as their food had arrived, Sting and Rogue ate slowly, using high society table manners. Lucy shook her head. "You don't need to impress me you know, I know you're both starving so dig in." It was all an act. Lucy saw right through it. She saw right through them, knowing if she wasn't here, they'd probably be acting like Natsu. They were just boys, she didn't know how people expected them to be perfect all the time. It was like a switch had gone off in their heads and they started eating a lot faster. Lucy smiled, feeling better now that they were at ease. They had all paid separately, thanking the waiter before they left to find a place for them to spend the night.

Thankfully, there was an Inn that was still open at the check-in desk. They had a room of three beds available and Lucy took it upon herself to pay for the room, not wanting the boys to spend much more of their money. They needed it a lot more than she did. The boys had been sitting in the waiting area while Lucy went to check them in. They were confused when she came back with only one room key. "Where's the other keys?" Sting asked as they all stood up. "We only need one room, it has three beds." Sting's confusion turned into shock and embarrassment. "But we can't share a room with a girl! Besides we always have separate rooms."

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're kidding." She raised an eyebrow with disbelief. _Have they not heard of efficiency?_ Lucy sighed but shrugged her shoulders. "Well we've got this room now, it's just for the one night. If we have to stay for longer then you can get your own rooms." Lucy had already begun walking towards the door to the stairs. The others followed, the blonde trudging behind with a frown. Lucy opened the door to their room for the night. "What do you mean 'if' we need to stay longer? The mission flier said this was a two week mission." Sting asked as he shut the door behind everyone. Lucy smirked at the blonde. "Because not many people would have took the time to do the small bit of research before going to hunt the creature. Finding this book will make this mission much quicker." Lucy waved the book in his face. Sting scoffed, still not wanting to admit she was right.

It was a large room, including a balcony that looked out to the mountains around the village. There were two beds beside each other and another opposite them on the other side of the room. Lucy took the one that was by itself and sat down, relaxing as she felt the softness of the mattress. There was a bathroom for them to share as well. Lucy asked if the boys wanted to take a shower, to which they blushed. "Not _with_ me!" She rolled her eyes at their reaction. "I don't need one and we have a big day ahead of us. I'll be waking you up early so you'll need a lot of rest. I suggest you have one now to get more sleep in." She explained and she could see the boys felt embarrassed their minds jumped to that conclusion. "Sorry Lucy." Rogue bowed his head in apology, Sting copied the action after his black haired partner has nudged his side with his elbow.

Following Lucy's advice, they each took turns to shower and change clothes in the bathroom. Lucy had used her Requip to change into some pyjamas and wiped off her makeup, reading the book over while the boys and their Exceeds settled down in their chosen beds. She had turned the light out, using the lamp on her bedside table to illuminate the book. It wasn't long before she heard two patterns of soft snoring and looked over to see the boys sound asleep with their Exceeds held close to them. A smile tugged at her lips. _They aren't so bad._ She put down her book and brought her knees up to wrap her arm around her thighs and rest her head on top of her knees.

The sight of the cosy dragon slayers brought her own friends to mind. A sigh escaped her lips, a frown following soon after. Now that she had no distraction, it was clear that she missed all of her friends very much. It would have only been a day in the Dragon Realm but she could imagine the chaos Igneel would be starting up. His reputation as the Fire Dragon King always diminished when he was around Lucy. A soft giggle floated around the room as she thought about her hot-headed friend. Igneel had admitted to her on multiple occasions that he had never met someone he could be so free around. Apparently she just had that effect on people, especially dragons/slayers. Even Metalicana loosened up in her presence.

The thought of contacting the castle played in her mind, despite having been away for such a short time. But there was the risk of Sting and Rogue finding out about the Dragon Realm too, they could easily wake up and overhear the conversation. They couldn't be allowed to know the Dragon Realm existed, for its safety. It was forbidden to share the knowledge about the Dragon Real, in fear that the information would somehow reach Acnologia. That was also the reason why Lucy couldn't reveal her identity as Dragon Queen.

Looking back at Sting and Rogue's sleeping forms, she thought it odd how two dragons were residing inside of them. She wondered if the boys had the same personality as their foster fathers. The other dragon slayers were practically carbon copies of their foster parents so it would make sense for the pattern to continue with Sting and Rogue. They looked so peaceful when they slept, no trace of pain visible. Lucy hoped they would go on more missions with her to strengthen their bond. She also wanted to protect them from the mental torture they would receive at Sabertooth. They couldn't have been older than fifteen years old so these years of their lives would shape them into the men they would become.

Despite only meeting Lucy that day, they had already put trust in her by letting her join them on their mission and even sleeping by her. She knew them for less than twenty four hours and she already felt protective of them. She didn't know if it was because of her vow as Dragon Queen to protect all dragons and creatures alike or if she saw herself from two years ago in them. Either way, she would do all she could to make sure they would live their lives to the fullest. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she turned off her bedside lamp and drifted off into her own sleep.

* * *

Light crept into the hotel room behind the thin material of the window curtains. Lucy was the first to wake up, the clock read 6am. She smiled, amazed at how her body managed to wake up at that time no matter what. The sound of birds chirping and tweeting reached her ears and she grinned as she stretched her muscles. She pulled the cover off her body and walked to the bathroom. She debated taking a quick shower but thought it was pointless if there was the possibility of being covered in dirt while hunting the beast. She brushed her messy bed hair and Requipped into her clothes of the day.

She still had to dress more fashionable to uphold Sabertooth's reputation, even though she desperately just wanted to wear her usual joggers, tank top and combat boots. She was fighting a monster today so a dress was out of the question. She didn't know how she could handle fighting monsters and beasts in a mini skirt years ago, but now that she had been wearing trousers, she had lost that talent. The light vanished to reveal her body encased in a plain black bodysuit. It was skin tight but still flexible. Just like her dress, the sleeves reached her knuckles. It was a low cut neckline but had a large collar that curled outwards as it reached just below her ears. On her feet were a pair of scarlet metallic boots that had built in knee pads. Hanging from her ears was a pair of red dangling earrings and her pendant from Demeter was now visible. Again, she had her belt around her waist to hold her keys. She didn't bother with makeup, it would most likely be futile.

She walked out of the bathroom to find her partners still asleep even with the room being alight with the morning sun. She stood at the base of their beds with her hands on her hips. "Wake up!" She yelled at them but they just stirred in their sleep, mumbling something to themselves. "If you don't wake up now you'll regret it." She spoke loud enough for them to hear if they were awake and were just refusing to get up. Nothing. She knew they had heard her and ignored her which annoyed her greatly. A frightening aura filled up the room as Lucy grinned evilly down at the four of them. "You idiots." Within a flash, she had set a small water attack on them.

Ice cold water dropped onto all of them, soaking their clothes. Dragon slayers and Exceeds alike jerked upwards, shivering from the cold water and shock. There was no doubt they were angry at Lucy's cruel way of waking them up but made no move to argue with the culprit once they saw the deadly glare on her face. Seeing that they were now awake, her expression changed instantly into a sweet smile. "Good morning! I'm gonna go and get us some breakfast, I expect you all to be dressed when I come back." She widened her smile before leaving the four alone to get ready.

All four of them looked at each other in fright, thinking back to the demon they woke up to. "Fro thinks Lushy is scary." Frosch trembled, clutching to Rogue. Lector nodded in agreement as he shook off all of the water in his fur. "She was so nice yesterday... Who knew she was hiding that?" Sting spoke in a quiet voice but a grin crept onto his face. Rogue looked at his partner with confusion. He raised an eyebrow to say 'why are you smiling?'. Sting raised his fist with enthusiasm. "Anyone with that aura has to be incredibly strong. She can help us get even stronger to make the guild respect us!" Rogue hummed in agreement.

The pair quickly got dressed for the fight ahead of them. Both Sting and Rogue were now afraid of Lucy's sudden mood swing but didn't let the other see it, trying to act tough. Lucy reappeared moments after they had finished getting ready, breakfast in hand. She handed Sting and Rogue fresh pancakes and Lector and Frosch two fish. "Thank you Lushy!" Frosch and Lector's eyes sparkled at their treats and gratefully accepted the food. Sting and Rogue, however, stared at their food with more confusion. Lucy sighed with a small smile. "It's not poison." She joked, wondering why they were so hesitant.

They didn't say anything but ate their breakfast after thanking Lucy. Lucy had already ate her own breakfast on the way back to the hotel room so she spent her time rereading the book's spell to memorise it. Hearing a hearty burp, she pulled her nose from out of the book to look at a sheepish Lector. The four tensed up, expecting Lucy to punish the cat to show proper manners but to their surprise, Lucy just laughed at him. "I'm glad you enjoyed your food." She giggled at the cute bashful expression creeping up on the Exceed's face.

Once everyone was finished, they headed to the town's food supply and Lucy performed the spell out of the book. A soft blue glow rose up from the ground and a trail formed in the direction of the mountains. "Come on, it's only temporary so we'll need to act fast." Lucy raced ahead, following the trail as the others caught up. Coming to the end of the trail, they reached the entrance of a cave hidden in the base of a mountain. Lucy gestured for everyone to duck down and hide behind the foliage surrounding the entrance. "It steals the food at night so we can assume it's nocturnal. We have the element of surprise on our hands here so we'll be more successful if we're quiet." She spoke in a hushed voice, the others listening intently. "The book says it has a lot of speed so weakening it's legs from the start will be best."

Lucy told Rogue to sneak up on the monster with his shadow magic and Sting should follow with another attack to finish off. Frosch and Lector had the job of flying around the mountain, circling to see if the monster would escape through another exit. Lucy was waiting by the entrance of the cage, using her dragon hearing to figure out the movements of the monster. She wanted to let Rogue and Sting prove their abilities first instead of making quick work of the mission herself. She heard a loud roar and a few explosions before the sound of pounding feet and angry snorting headed towards her. Lucy readied herself by using Star Dress. She transformed into Virgo's Star Dress and awaited the beast.

In a flash, the monster's head poked into sight, a furious glare on its face. It was comparable to a Yeti only with red fur instead of white. Within a flash, Lucy had dug a giant hole that trapped the monster in the ground. It was deep enough to injure the beast when it fell. However, it didn't stop the beast from trying to climb out of the ditch. Lucy changed out of her Star Dress to perform a celestial attack. "Supernova: Celestial Dragon's Fist!" Lucy launched the attack onto the now frightened beast. Her attack produced a large explosion of purple, gold and blue. The attack slammed into the beast that was now shrieking in fear. The attack was more than enough to knock out the beast's fighting spirit.

Lucy sighed as she looked down at the injured creature. "Woah..." She hadn't realised the two other dragon slayers caught up and witnessed the extreme power Lucy possesed. They were still feeling the aftershock energy from her attack. She ignored them for now, jumping down to the beast. Now that it was afraid, it just scurried to the edge of the hole. She smiled at the beast and held out her hand as though to pet it. Too scared, it made no move to stop her. She placed her palm in the middle of its forehead, a green glow surrounding both Lucy and the monster. It was a spell Gaia had taught her that enabled her to communicate with animals of all species.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you again." The monster looked confused, never before had a human been able to speak its language. "However, that was a warning. If you continue to steal food from any towns, I'll have no choice but to exterminate you." Lucy's tone took a cold turn and her eyes glared down at the beast. Of course, she hadn't meant anything she said but she needed to scare it from stealing again. "Understood?" The beast squealed and nodded its head rapidly, begging to be released. "Please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again." Lucy smirked and removed her spell. Patting the beast on the head with a little more force than necessry, she jumped out of the ditch.

She returned to four shocked faces with jaws dropped to the ground.

* * *

 **Also someone commented saying this is a slow burn and they are absolutely right :D I'll also try to make the chapters longer for you and hopefully make the pace of the story go a bit faster for you all. (The next few are already pre written so I'll be making them longer after chapter 22)**


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm so excited now, everything is moving so much faster (well to me anyways) :D Also everyone from Sabertooth might be a bit OOC**

* * *

 **~Chapter 20~**

* * *

The mission was very successful and even more profitable when the mayor increased their reward to 150,000J since they were able to rid them of the beast so quickly. He offered they stay for longer so they could relax with their extra time but Sting and Rogue declined. Sting had wanted to return to Sabertooth so he could brag how short they completed the mission (despite it being mostly Lucy's success) and Rogue just wanted to go back to his own room, away from the rest of humanity. Lucy didn't mind either way but decided to accompany them on the train back to Crocus.

They were all sat on the train, only just starting their short ride back, and staring. Lucy and Frosch were staring out of the window whereas Sting, Rogue and Lector were staring at Lucy in thought. She had performed her healing spell on them again so they were able to think of something other than a war raging in their stomachs. The three of them were all deep in thought regarding the brunette beside them. They were surprised at her immense power and knowledge of a range of magic. Sting and Rogue were happy at the fact they had met the powerful woman.

They were star struck at what they had witnessed in the mountains. Their attacks weren't strong enough to hurt the beast and they weren't fast enough to stop the beast, but Lucy hadn't even brought it up. Had they been paired with someone else from Sabertooth, they would have been punished greatly for their mistakes. She was even able to communicate to the beast but they were left confused why she had let it go rather than killing it. It made more sense to them to just rid the town of it forever. They didn't even get the chance to ask her anything, too shocked to say a single word. They remained like that the whole way; at the mayor's office, at the library, at the hotel and now on the train home. They had been silent for a total of 3 hours now and it was just about wearing off.

"How?" Sting finally managed to force the word passed his throat where it had been stuck for so long. Lucy chuckled, turning to face the blonde. "I was wondering when you'd speak again." Her laughter eased the pair, unknowingly to themselves. "How did you do that without breaking a sweat?!" Sting became a bit more excited now, wanting to know all of her secrets. "It's simple." Lucy smiled and Sting waited for her answer. "It's just practice and hard work. I wasn't always strong, in fact I was quite weak only a few years ago..." Her voice drifted off. Sting huffed in disappointment, hoping her answer would be a quicker solution.

Lucy shook her head, knowing exactly what was running through his head. "Don't worry, just think how much stronger you are now from last year and how much stronger you'll be a year from now." Her words brought his grin back. "You're right." Rogue nodded in agreement, taking in Lucy's encouragement. "Lucy?" Rogue spoke in a quite voice, as though he was unsure whether he should speak or not. The brunette turned to him with a smile. "Yes?" Rogue frowned in thought. "Why did you let the monster go? It would have been more efficient to kill it." It was Lucy's turn to frown.

"Just because someone or something makes a mistake doesn't mean it should be killed. If that was the case then I doubt any of us would be alive today. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes but that doesn't mean we don't deserve to continue our lives. We can learn from our mistakes, they make us stronger." She sighed, looking back out to the window. Frosch had been cuddling up to Lucy and was now brave enough to nudge her hand as a way of asking her to pet him. Lucy smiled down at the Exceed and started gently petting him, receiving a purr in return. "I see." Rogue smiled ever so slightly to her words.

They remained in silence for the rest of the journey. Frosch was sad his pets had stopped when the train returned to Crocus. They just had one more job of going to the guild to make an official report of their mission before they could relax, each now 50,000J richer. The four walked ahead of Lucy, clearly excited to report back their success. Lucy dreaded seeing the horrid faces that resided in Sabertooth. Now she wished she had elongated the mission on purpose. Perhaps she should have thought things through instead of trying to make a good impression on the dragon slayers. Her face dropped at the sight of the doors of Sabertooth but followed Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch into the guild.

It was still just as uninviting and cold as it was the day before. "Hey! What are you doing here? You took a mission!" A feminine voice came from deep inside the guild. Lucy turned to see a woman pointing at Sting and Rogue with a scowl. She had midnight blue hair that reached her elbows and two thick sections were braided on either side of her head. Her olive eyes were squinted into a glare and her red lips also pulled into a tight scowl. She wore a royal blue dress that was more on the revealing side with black heels. Lucy didn't know why but she felt a sudden hatred for the woman.

Walking towards the boys, she chuckled darkly. "Was that simple mission too much for you? Did you give up? You know what we do to mages who give up!" Her voice was like a heavy weight that was pressing down on their confidence. Lucy gave her own glare to the woman, feeling protective of the four of them. "Actually my lady, we finished the mission in one day." Sting and Rogue had bowed their heads in her presence. The woman began to laugh at them. "You two couldn't complete a two week mission in one day if your life depended on it." Lucy felt her anger rise from deep within. "My lady, it's true." Rogue spoke softly, his voice let no sign of his fear out.

The woman just kept laughing down at them. Lucy moved forward, her fists clenched and her own terrifying look took over her features. "Who are you to talk to them like that?" The woman had now only realised Lucy's presence, surprised to see someone who wasn't afraid of her. Lucy gently moved Sting and Rogue aside, moving closer to the woman. Everyone's eyes were now on the two women. Lucy was now less than a meter away from her, she suffocated the woman with her fury but the woman only smirked at Lucy. "Are you trying to be intimidating?" Lucy sneered at the woman. "Are you intimidated by me?" The woman didn't give in. "You ask who am I? I am Minerva. The strongest mage of Sabertooth. Who are you?"

Lucy's fingers twitched, itching to wrap themselves around her skinny throat. "My name is Lucy. It'll do you good to shrink that ego of yours." The pair were standing still, staring at each other in a battle of dominance. "My ego is equivalent to my power, I have no reason not to be confident in my abilities." Minerva spoke smugly but it only infuriated Lucy more. Before either woman could say another word, Jiemma was suddenly sat in the throne underneath the stairs, watching. "Minerva." He ordered the woman to back down and called her over to him. Lucy scowled at the woman walking away from her.

She tore herself away from her spot and softened her expression to face Sting and Rogue. They couldn't comprehend what they had just witnessed. Not only was Lucy incredibly powerful, but she had just challenged Minerva too. If fighting was allowed in Sabertooth, they were sure to place their bets on Lucy. "We're just going to give the report to the barman." Sting pointed towards the bar before Lucy could say a single word to them. She frowned, afraid that she had scared them away. She watched the boys walk away from her.

She was pulled out of view by a hard grip against her shoulder. Orga. He was stood far too close for her liking so she took a few steps back only to have her touch the wall behind her. Lucy glared at the man. _What does he want?_ She placed her hands on her hips. "You're pretty strong." Lucy rolled her eyes. "Thanks." She looked away from him to glance back at Sting and Rogue, who were now talking to a girl their age. She had short silver hair and dressed in a white dress and white fur cloak. Her skin was pale and her eyes a deep brown. Lucy could see she still had some spirit in her face that wasn't stolen from Sabertooth.

"How come you took a mission with those two?" Lucy just stared at him, not answering his question. Her arms were now crossed underneath her chest, a sign for him to get to the point of him coming over to her. "Clearly you're in a bad mood." He chuckled to himself, a glint crossing over his eyes. "Lushy!" Frosch called for Lucy to come and join the little gathering of mages. She excused herself away from Orga, glad Frosch had given her an excuse to escape the presence of the green haired giant.

"Yes?" Lucy smiled at the teenagers, eyes now looking at the shy girl who was looking at her feet. "This is Yukino, she's a Celestial mage too." Frosch explained. Lucy held her hand out to greet the girl but the girl bowed her head in respect before shaking her hand softly. "I'm so glad to meet you Lucy. I've admired you for years." Lucy chuckled nervously and Sting and Rogue turned their heads to look at the brunette. "You know Lucy?" Sting asked, confused. They didn't recognise her at all, though her name had sounded oddly familiar. Yukino looked shocked at the boys. "You don't remember Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail?" As soon as the words left her mouth, everything clicked in their heads.

"You're _that_ Lucy Heartfilia?! You look so different. You're a Fairy Tail mage?" Sting yelled out in surprise. Lucy sweat-dropped. "I'm an ex member of Fairy Tail. I left over four years ago." She explained but their excitement didn't die down. "You knew Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox?" Sting asked with excitement. Lucy nodded. She guessed the two had admired the older dragon slayers so, of course, they would be excited to find someone who once knew them personally. "Yes, well I was closer to Natsu, not so much Gajeel." She felt a sense of deja vu. She had to answer every question the dragons asked about their foster children and now she would have to go through the same thing with Sting and Rogue.

Before they could ask another question, she raised her hand to stop them. "I don't really want to talk about them right now." She knew they were disappointed but she wasn't in the mood to entertain their questions. Yukino stepped forward with a small blush. "Can I see your keys?" She pulled out her own two golden keys; Pisces and Libra to compare to Lucy's collection. Lucy took out her keyring that held together her large collection of celestial keys. Yukino gasped at the amount of keys Lucy had, admiring all of the keys before her. "Even your silver keys are quite powerful." Yukino brushed her fingers over the intricate details of the keys. Lucy smiled at the younger mage. "You're quite strong yourself, you have the remaining two Golden Keys."

While Yukino and Lucy were conversing, Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch had moved away to have their own private conversation away from the girls. Yukino spotted the three new keys Lucy had purchased recently. "These a very rare silver keys. How did you get hold of them?" Lucy shrugged. "I bought them, I must have been lucky." Lucy felt a strong connection with Yukino, Celestial magic was incredibly rare so it wasn't everyday Lucy found someone who appreciated her spirits as much as she did. "I'm sure you'll find more soon enough." Lucy smiled at the younger mage with encouragement.

"I wish I was as strong as you." Lucy smiled, placing her keys back into their pouch. "Well perhaps we can train together in our free time?" Lucy offered, causing Yukino to grin in excitement. "Really?" Lucy nodded, glad to see not every mage at Sabertooth was arrogant. Her mission was to gain the trust of Sting and Rogue but she couldn't help but want to befriend Yukino as well, feeling a need to nurture the brightness blooming inside the young girl. Their conversation was brought to a stop when Sting called for her attention, the four walking back over to the two.

"We were talking and we want to form a team with you." Sting announced, grinning as though he had just offered her the opportunity of a lifetime. Lucy smiled at the news. "Of course!" She agreed. _My plan is working perfectly._ She thought to herself. Though she felt protective over the innocent boys, she missed her family back in the Dragon Realm and wanted to see them again as soon as she could. She saw a look of gloom flash over Yukino's features as she accepted to be a part of her new team. "I have a condition though." She placed a hand on Yukino's shoulder. "Yukino is welcome to join us whenever she wants." The silver haired girl perked up. She did want to spend time with her fellow Celestial mage to learn from her but was too shy and slightly too proud to admit it to the brunette.

Sting sucked his teeth in thought but Rogue nodded in agreement. "That seems fair." Sting huffed at his partners words but agreed nonetheless, not happy with having to share his tutor with Yukino. Now that everyone had come to an agreement, Sting suggested going on another mission the next day. Lucy chuckled at his enthusiasm and agreed. The mission they had just completed barely affected her stamina or magic so she was more than capable to complete another one. "Sure, but we let Yukino choose the mission." Lucy decided for the rest of her team and joined Yukino by the request board. Sting huffed again.

Lucy found a mission that had a celestial key as part of the reward and offered it go towards Yukino. Of course, she accepted, wanting to build up her collection of keys. "I'll go and get it signed out." Yukino said, heading over to the barman. She turned to go back to Sting and Rogue but was faced with Minerva walking towards Lucy with a stoic expression. "So, you're a Dragon Slayer huh?" Lucy stared at the woman. _What does she want now?_ "I apologise for my behaviour earlier. I'll be sure to stay away from you and your little companions." She shot a look to Yukino and the other dragon slayers. Her ace seemed to freeze before she pulled her lips into a plastic grin. "Welcome to Sabertooth." With that, she walked away and out of the guild.

Lucy shook her head at the woman. The less time she had to spend in the guild, the better. Yukino came back with the mission flier to show Sting and Rogue. It was already mid afternoon so they all agreed to wait until the morning to regroup and travel to the location of the mission, they would save money from sleeping in their own homes that night instead of paying for hotel rooms. Before she could exit the guild, she felt the same pair of eyes staring at the back of her head. She made the mistake of turning her head around and making eye contact with the green haired giant. Lucy said her goodbyes to her new teammates, watching as they walked in different directions to their homes.

Once she filled her stomach at a café, she headed to the same hotel she had checked in before and upon seeing her new Sabertooth mark, they gave her a fearful look and a discounted price on her room. Lucy insisted they didn't need to do that but the woman checking her in gave no room for argument. Lucy didn't disagree after that, paying for her room and heading up to relax. She sighed as she checked the room for any intruders and locked the door behind her. She flopped on the bed with a sigh. Though everything was going so well for her, she really didn't want to spend another day in the horrible place called Sabertooth.

 _How can they call themselves a guild? All they do is belittle everyone._ She got up, deciding to take a shower to rid her body of the day's hardships. She took her time, relaxing under the water. She dried herself off and Requipped into another set of pyjamas, her hair tied up into a messy bun. She turned the tv on but didn't pay attention, using it as a background noise so that she wouldn't feel as lonely.

She frowned. She needed cheering up and she knew exactly who was the person for the job. She brought her own Lacrima crystal to communicate to the Dragon Realm from her storage dimension. She infused a small amount of magic into the crystal so that it could pass over into the other realm. She waited for a short while on the bed before a hologram of an excited Grandine appeared. "Lucy!" Her happiness faded away into despair. "You're not hurt are you? Is there something wrong? We didn't expect to hear from you so soon." She leaned in closer, trying to examine every inch of Lucy. "What's that on her chest? Is that a tattoo?" She asked but before Lucy could answer, Grandine was out of view and an overly excited Igneel had appeared before her.

"Igneel!" Lucy's eyes lit up at the sight of her closest friend. "You have a tattoo? Is it me as a dragon?" He asked, his eye coming up close to the Lacrima to get a better view of the ink on Lucy's skin. She laughed at his antics. "No. It's a guild mark. I joined the guild, it's the easiest way to complete the mission faster." Of course, Igneel was the only one who understood. She didn't tell the others what her mission was, she knew they would worry. Now Metalicana, Venus and Datura's voices came through on her Lacrima.

They all wanted to talk to Lucy but Igneel had ran away with the Lacrima, stealing Lucy's attention all for himself. He even went to the effort of locking himself away with the Lacrima. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at his childish behaviour. This was all she needed to cheer up. She couldn't wait before she could return back to the Dragon Realm. Igneel was rambling about how sad it was at the Dragon Realm without her. He made no mention of Demeter's memorial ceremony. He decided not to let Lucy know about it, knowing she would drop the mission to pay her respects to the former queen. There would be questions about the whereabouts of their new queen but Igneel knew what to say.

"How is everything going?" He asked, placing an enchantment around the room he was hiding in so that no one could hear the conversation taking place. Lucy frowned, telling him everything that had happened over the few days she had been in Earthland. "Well it sounds like everything is going great." Igneel gave her a toothy grin before Lucy heard banging on the door. "I know you're in there Flame Brain!" Metalicana's voice was muffled from the other side of the door. Lucy laughed at Igneel's surprised face. Before either of them knew it, the door was slammed down and the hologram disappeared with the last image of Igneel and Metalicana's angry faces.

Lucy laughed at the image, picturing the squabble that was most likely taking place. She returned the Lacrima back to storage and settled underneath the covers of the bed. She mindlessly watched some tv channels, curious to see if there were many changes to entertainment the past years. After finding nothing of interest, she turned it off and the room was black. She closed her eyes as she thought about her friends back in the Dragon Realm, a smile on her face as she dreamt the night away.


	21. Chapter 21

**How's everyone liking the story so far? I know this is a couple days late, I'm sorry! D:**

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 **~Chapter 21~**

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Lucy woke up in a better mood, glad to have had her small interaction with Igneel. She would have liked to speak to the others but Igneel was the one who could cheer her up no matter what. _Perhaps next time I can have a longer call._ She chuckled to herself and headed to the bathroom to ready herself for another mission. She was more than happy she wouldn't have to set foot in the guild and even more so that she was making quick progress with Sting and Rogue. Perhaps, even after her own mission was over with, she would visit them.

She didn't know if it was an ego thing or not, but she liked that Yukino thought of her as a role model. She was flattered by the younger Celestial mage's admiration of her power. Back when she was just a Celestial mage, she always thought that she was weak. While it was her magic that channeled into her spirit's presence, it was never her own attacks that brought down the enemy. She did use her whip but it wasn't the same. She was glad that Yukino didn't consider herself weak as such, but she did want to be stronger. Lucy was only too happy to help her get there.

She also thought it was strange she felt so protective over all of the teenagers. She could count the days she knew them on one hand but she wanted to shield them for the harshness of their guild. It was more than likely to prevent them from going through what she had during her last year at Fairy Tail. Thinking back to her former guild, she realised she never had figured out the reason behind their ignorance towards her. All of the dragons were persistent that something just didn't add up. Lucy had indeed forgiven them by now but it didn't mean that she wasn't still hurt by it. Time was all she needed to recover.

She pushed her thoughts away and thought of her outfit for the day. It was so tempting to wear casual clothing, especially since the mission's location was three hours away by train. She groaned, knowing it wasn't option as of now. Perhaps when she built more of a reputation she could do what she wanted but for now, she would have to hold herself to Sabertooth's standards.

She chose a caramel skintight dress that stopped mid thigh. To cover the remainder of her legs was a pair of over-the-knee turquoise boots, that matched her turquoise fingerless gloves. Now that she had Sabertooth's emblem, her Fairy Tail one had vanished but she still had a big scar. She wore a golden cropped hoodie with pastel blue trimmings. It was baggy around her chest and had a large hood. Of course, she also had her belt secured around her waist to hold her essentials. All of her jewellery (including her anklet) was hidden, all except a pair of silver dangling earrings. She smiled at her reflection and gave herself a nod of approval before leaving the hotel.

She grabbed herself some fruit from a local shop as breakfast and ate it as she walked towards the train station. She would be a little early again but she didn't mind waiting for them. She had a bit more of a spring in her step today, excited for her plans later in the day. On her agenda was that after the day's work she would summon and create contracts with her three new spirits. She was curious to see what they would look and act like. Lost in her daydream, she hadn't realised she had already made it to the train station until a voice called her name.

Stopping in her tracks, she turned to the direction of the voice, seeing Lector waving at her. He was stood beside Frosch on the ground, next to Sting, Rogue and Yukino who were sat on a bench making awkward small talk. Their faces cheered up now that the brunette was in sight and stood up to great their teammate. "Good morning everyone." She waved at the teenagers who greeted her back. Sting and Rogue were wearing very casual clothing but Yukino was also wearing a dress (thankfully much looser and longer than Lucy's) and flats along with her fur cloak. It was clear now that the 'dress code' was a lot looser for the males in the guild.

"The train's leaving in twenty minutes." Yukino informed Lucy who thanked her in return. "You all wait here while I go get my ticket." She assumed they had all bought their own tickets since they were just waiting on the bench. "Actually, Rogue bought you your ticket Lushy." Frosch announced cheerfully. Lucy grinned at the black haired teen, thanking him. She was glad he was following her examples of kindness. "That was so sweet of you." She praised the dragon slayer who turned his head away from embarrassment, a slight blush forming on his cheeks at the unfamiliar words.

Sting pursed his lips in jealousy. He wanted to receive praise too. Lucy asked Yukino for the mission flier so she could have another look over the request. The silver haired girl handed over the flier to Lucy to show that it was an estimated month long mission. Before she could read it all, a voice took her attention from the flier. "Where's your luggage Lucy?" Yukino asked, looking behind Lucy to see her with no bag. "She can Requip all of her clothes and items." Lector explained to Yukino, who's admiration for the woman only grew with the new information. "That's the same as Erza Scarlet's magic isn't it?" Yukino asked, thinking back to the many magazines she bought that included articles about the infamous mages of Fairy Tail.

Lucy nodded at her question. "That's very impressive." Yukino smiled at the brunette. Lucy thanked the younger girl. It wasn't long before they could board the train. With an extra person, the seating arrangement consisted of Sting and Rogue on one seat, Lucy and Yukino on the other with Frosch on Lucy's lap and Lector on Sting's. Rogue felt a slight betrayal from his Exceed but knew the reason being was that Lucy petted the cat whenever he asked whereas Rogue held back any display of affection when surrounded by other people.

Lucy performed her healing spell on the two dragon slayers, allowing them to travel without the constant threat of throwing up the contents of their stomachs. Now that they were all settled in the booth, Lucy took out the flier again to read over the description. It was a request for mages to protect the village from dark mages that returned every three weeks to harass and steal from the civilians that resided in the town. Their stay there would be free of charge as long as they fulfilled their promise of fighting off the dark mages. They would also be rewarded with a celestial key and 70,000 J per head. It seemed like a good mission to spend more time building up the trust between herself and Sting and Rogue.

She would also take this as an opportunity to come through with her promise to the teenagers and train them. Of course three weeks wasn't much time at all but they could still manage to build up their strength even slightly in that time. It was also three weeks away from Sabertooth that all of them could only profit from. She handed the flier back to Yukino who put it back into her pack. Now that her hands were free, Frosch gave her a pleading look. Lucy smiled at the adorable cat in her lap and began petting him.

The silence between them didn't last long before the questions about Fairy Tail began. "When I read the articles about you, it only said you were just a Celestial mage, how come you're now a Celestial Dragon Slayer? And you have all of this other magic?" Yukino blurted out. She knew it was impolite to ask outright but she really wanted to know. Dragon Slaying was a lost magic so it was an interesting leap in Lucy's magic. Lucy hesitated, thinking of a story to make up. "Well..." Lucy paused, her mind going blank. Yukino went hung her head from shame. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me to ask."

Lucy shook her head. "No, it's fine." Yukino relaxed a bit, waiting to hear Lucy's story. "When I left Fairy Tail, I wanted to pursue getting stronger with my spirits. I needed a secluded place. I travelled to a forest and found someone living there. She was an older mage and I told her about my quest to gain strength. She taught me her dragon slayer magic and then some. She had many books on magic so I self taught myself all of my other extra magic. Recently, she passed away so I decided to return to being part of a guild. Sabertooth was the most popular so I guessed I would join." Fortunately, all of them believed her story.

It wasn't a lie in a sense, but she was just glad they bought it. Now that that question was out of the way, the one question she didn't want to hear was asked by Sting. "Why did you leave Fairy Tail?" Lucy sighed, looking out of the window and at the flower fields in the far distance. "Maybe I'll tell you another day." Now that Lucy's aura had turned gloomy, Rogue nudged Sting which translated to 'why did you ask that?'. Sting glared at Rogue. How was he supposed to know it was a touchy subject?

"I'm sorry for bringing it up." The look on Rogue's face forced Sting to apologise to their teammate. She gave him a forced smile before returning her gaze back to the window. "It's alright, you were just curious. It's not something I'd like to talk about but I promise I'll tell you one day." She speaks in a soft voice, still looking at the nature outside the train. The rest of the train ride was spent in silence if not a few awkward ice breakers that didn't end up anywhere. It felt like sweet relief when the train came to a stop at their destination.

Sting requested to check in at a hotel first so they could drop their things off but Lucy reminded him they needed to speak to the mayor first since their stay was free of charge, they would obviously need proof of that to hand to the hotel. He grumbled to himself, frustrated with having to carry around his heavy rucksack around for longer than necessary. Lucy told him to think of it as a workout.

The trip to the mayor's office went smoothly since Lucy did all the talking. The woman gave them their room keys, having already booked two rooms for the four mages prior to their arrival. They were booked for four weeks free stay, breakfast included. The mayor had given them statements from every person that had encountered the dark mages to see if they could find any information of their magic or if they could figure out who they were. She informed them that another attack was estimated in three weeks time. As a token of more gratitude, she gave them a selection of coupons to save them money on their food.

As they walked to the hotel, Lucy passed two room keys to Sting and Rogue and one to Yukino. The two boys would be paired together and Lucy would be sharing with Yukino. It was only a little past noon so Lucy decided they would unpack all of their things and they would all head to get some food before they came up with a plan. Lucy gave the boys thirty minutes to unpack and meet the girls in the hotel lobby. Since Lucy had no luggage to unpack, she helped Yukino with hers.

The minutes passed quickly and it was time to regroup just as Yukino had packed away her last few items. Locking up the door behind them, they headed back down to the ground floor to the rest of their teammates. Sting, Lector and Frosch looked more than eager to get some food so Lucy let them decide where they would eat. Walking around the main part of the town, Yukino stayed closest to Lucy. She hadn't spent much, if any time getting to know Sting or Rogue. She had only spoken to them the day before to figure out if her hunch about Lucy were true and to meet the brunette.

She had been a huge fan of Lucy Heartiflia, 'Light of Fairy Tail'. Though Lucy wasn't as popular as Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Mirajane Strauss or Erza Scarlet, Yukino paid most of her attention to the lesser known Celestial Spirit Mage. Lucy had been her role model for a few years, she initially wanted to join Fairy Tail to be a mentee to the blonde but when she found out about the dissapearance of all of the stronger mages, she was crushed. She still could have joined Fairy Tail but after hearing about the rumours of a guild called Twilight Ogre demanding money from Fairy Tail, she was scared. So, she joined Sabertooth instead.

Seeing the woman she had admired for years was a dream come true, even if she did look completely different. Yukino guessed it was a side effect of some magic she had learned, after all she thought Lucy looked better as a blonde. She hadn't asked about it nor did she say anything about her purple and gold eye. While it was quite pretty, she could see small traces of scarring across her eye and she could only remember Lucy with two brown eyes. She debated in her head about asking the brunette about her changed appearance but didn't know if it would be a touchy subject. Then again, she wouldn't know unless she asked.

In the time it took for Yukino to come to a decision in her head, Sting had chosen a restaurant and Lucy guided Yukino inside. She understood the blank look on her face was one that was deep in thought so she didn't want to disrupt her thought process. Perhaps it was relavent to their mission, perhaps not. They got seated by a table and Yukino had finally snapped back to reality. "Lucy?" Yukino looked at the woman sat beside her. Lucy turned to Yukino with a smile, curious to hear what was happening in her head. "Yes?"

"Why did you change your hair?" Lucy felt slightly disappointed at the question. _She was thinking so deeply about my hair?!_ Lucy shrugged. "I guess I just wanted a change. Why?" Her eyes went to the menu. Yukino held up her own menu to shield her face. "I thought you looked better as a blonde. Not to say you don't look pretty now..." She trailed off, hoping she hadn't offended the woman. Lucy smiled. "You think so?" Yukino nodded enthusiastically, relieved her comment hadn't upset the brunette. "Maybe I'll change it back." Lucy hummed, her eyes scanning over her menu.

Sting wasn't too interested in the conversation but being a blonde himself decided to chip in. "Blondes are superior." His comments made Lucy and Yukino look at each in confusion. "Is that so?" Lucy laughed off his statement. As soon as they ordered their food, all of the boys weren't up for conversations, their minds occupied on their food. Yukino had all of Lucy's attention while they waited so she began asking questions about their magic.

"How many spirits can you open at a time and how long?" Yukino's questions were straightforward, too excited to find out how powerful Lucy had become. Lucy grinned at Yukino. "Well I can open six golden gates for an hour and four golden and four silver for the same amount of time." Yukino's jaw dropped. "Really?" Lucy nodded with a wide grin. She lied. She could open them all together with her new boost of power that came from being the Dragon Queen. She knew she was strong, immensely so, but it felt amazing to be respected and admired by someone other than the dragons. She didn't need an ego boost so she tried to not let the reactions go to her head.

Their time in the restaurant was short. Everyone was hungry so they ate quickly before paying and heading towards the library. If their trip to the library would be unsuccesful, Lucy could summon Crux. The mayor had informed them that while the civilians were majorly non mages, they had a good selection of information on magic, thanks to their magical ancestors. Lucy had sent Sting and Rogue to look for all books on dark magic/mages. Lector and Frosch had the job of helping Yukino by passing her relevant books as she read them with Gale-Force glasses. Lucy decided to take a look at some of the history books and scriptures of the town, thinking perhaps there was a reason the dark mages kept returning only to this town.

Now that they had rounded up all the books they could find, Sting and Rogue were roped into reading with their own pair of Gale-Force glasses. Rogue didn't mind so much, having a hidden liking of reading. Sting on the other hand, did not like reading beyond the mission fliers. He had tried to get into the hobby but nothing interested him. A few hours had passed by in silence as they all read. Sting was about to give up. "Look at this." Yukino held out the open book in front of Lucy, pointing at a piece of information that sparked interest. "It matches the description of the magic used." Lucy grabbed one of the statements from the towns people and compared it to the book. "Hmmm you're right."

Lucy continued reading the passage in the book. "This is Illusion Magic." Lucy spoke with a grin. "It seems the dark mages are scaring the people in this town by creating illusions of attacks. But why?" She wondered, turning back to her history book. "Now that we know what magic they have, are we done here?" Sting asked, boredom taking over. Lucy checked the time to see it was 5pm. Sighing, she took off her glasses. "Yeah, we'll come back tomorrow to find out more about Illusion Magic and it's weaknesses."

Sting almost leaped for joy. After returning all of their books to their original places, they thanked the librarian and left to get some dinner. Lucy gave Yukino the option of their food this time, who chose a large bakery that had a few seats inside. Once hearing they were the mages come to rescue them, the owner gave them anything they wanted on the house. Just as Lucy was about to decline, Sting and Lector had accepted and grabbed a few treats for themselves and sat down to eat their free food. "Sorry about them. Really, I'd feel terrible if I didn't pay." Lucy said but the owner insisted that he didn't mind.

"Are you sure?" Lucy gave him one last chance to turn around and tell Sting to pay for his food but the man insisted again. "Okay well thank you very much, we appreciate it greatly." Lucy smiled at the baker while they picked out some food with more decorum that Sting had shown. Before Lucy sat down she scolded Sting and Lector for their behaviour. "You could have at least thanked him before taking all this food." She huffed, disappointed at his actions. Sting paused his eating to give her a muffled apology. "It's okay, just as long as you don't do it again." Sting couldn't believe that was the extent of Lucy's scolding. Had he been in view of Minerva, he would have had a few bruises already. He felt much more free around Lucy. He knew it was wrong to just take but he couldn't help but take advantage of her kindness.

They ate in silence. Lucy wasn't a fan of the awkward silence during eating but she would have to wait before they would feel comfortable to engage conversations with her themselves. They headed back to the hotel once they were finished, thanking the baker again when they left. It was only 5:30pm so Lucy asked them what they wanted to do to pass the time. Rogue wanted to head back to his hotel room, Sting wanted to spend some time in the activities room the hotel had and Yukino was undecided. Lector and Frosch took sides with their respective dragon slayers. "Okay well I am going to find a clearing to make contracts with my new spirits, do you want to come along?" Lucy asked Yukino, who's face lit up in response.

"Can I?" Lucy nodded. "Make sure you two go to sleep at a reasonable time, I'll be waking you up early for breakfast." Lucy warned the boys as they went their separate ways. Yukino was happy to spend some exclusive time with Lucy, even more so with some spirits. It was still light out, the sun hadn't set yet. Their walk to the forest was short before Yukino pointed out a large-ish clearing for Lucy. The brunette smiled as she walked into the middle of it while Yukino sat on a nearby rock to witness the contracts take place.

"Open Gate of the Hunting Dogs; Canes Venatici!"


	22. Chapter 22

**I hope everyone is liking the story :)**

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 **~Chapter 22~**

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A blinding white light filled up the area, forcing both Lucy and Yukino to shield their eyes. The light dimmed to reveal the spirit towering over Lucy. It was a giant hellhound with fur as black as coal and gleaming blood red eyes. While being even taller than Lucy, it's most distinctive feature was its three heads. Each head had a different coloured ghostly chain wrapped around its neck and floating around its body. The left head had a blue chain, the middle had a silver chain and the right had a red chain. Lucy was now more than glad that she decided to summon the spirit in a clearance rather than taking her chances in the hotel room.

"Greetings, human." Its voice was gruff and echoed slightly, all three heads speaking in unison. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia, I'd like to create a contract with you." All three heads grinned, revealing their large sharp and drooling teeth. "You're very popular in the Spirit Realm. We'd be glad to serve you." All three heads bowed in respect. "Great! Now I just need to know your magical abilities and available days." Lucy smiled up at the intimidating spirit. "We have many abilities. Physically, we can separate into three larger than average Rottweilers. Magically, we all posses the ability to hunt any being and have incredible strength and speed." Lucy made a mental note of the information. "We are available for service anytime you need."

"Thank you, I look forward to working with you. You may leave now if you wish." Lucy bowed at the spirit which vanished before she stood back up. Lucy placed his key back onto her chain and picked up her next key. "Open Gate of the Wolf; Lupus!" Unlike the previous animal spirit, the Wolf had a human form. Standing before Lucy was a woman who was a few inches taller than the brunette. Her grey hair was wild, resembling more of a wolf's fur, with grey wolf ears poking out through the thick strands. Containing her hair away from her face was a thick golden headband. Her skin was fair against her dark clothing. Her eyes were black with glowing golden irises and her lips were a dark red. She wore a short, black, one-sleeved kimono that reached mid-thigh. She covered the rest of her legs with asymmetric grey over-the-knee socks, the right one reaching higher than the left. On her feet were a pair of plain black stilettos. She reminded Lucy of Loke, another spirit that was human but had animal traits and features.

"So, I finally get the pleasure of meeting the infamous Lucy Heartfilia. My name is Luna." The woman's voice was silky as her eyes looking Lucy up and down. Luna took long strolls closer to Lucy, as though she was stalking prey. Mindful of her sharp claws, Luna grabbed Lucy's face and turned it left to right with a grin. Lucy hadn't stopped the woman's inspection, knowing each spirit had their own strange standards for their masters."You're quite beautiful. I'd love looking at your face for the rest of your eternity." Lucy didn't know how to react to her flirting but thanked the woman out of politeness anyway.

Yukino kept quiet, watching the odd interaction from her own safe distance. "I'm available every moment you need me." Luna winked at Lucy before carrying on. "My magic is drawn from the moon so I am strongest at night. I can control water, lighting and moonlight." She put up her fingers as she listed her power. "I can also transform into a wolf on command. But I must warn you-" Luna leaned in closer to Lucy and licked her lips. "There are days where I have less control over my animal instincts and if I see pretty little thing like you, it's hard to control myself."

Both Yukino and Lucy's cheeks had turned pink from her shameless flirting. Lucy was used to most of her male spirits flirting with her but it was a completely new experience to have a woman say such things, and a beautiful one at that. "I'll keep that in mind." Lucy smiled nervously as Luna removed herself from Lucy's personal space. Before anything more could be said, Loke had appeared beside Lucy and Luna. "Don't tell me you've made a contract with _her_!" His voice was laced with annoyance, eyes glaring at Luna who could only smirk at the lion's possessiveness. Lucy glanced between the two spirits. "The contract has already been made. Do you two know each other?"

Loke groaned in exaggeration, rubbing his face. Lucy couldn't have been more confused. "What is it?" Luna chuckled to herself. "The little kitten is jealous." Loke shot a glare at the wolf. "You keep your filthy paws away from Lucy." The brunette could tell there was no true maliciousness between the two so she had come to the conclusion that they had a rivalry. Of course it made sense, Loke was a feline and Luna was a canine. Luna grinned at Loke, moving closer to poke him on his nose. "Lucy is my mistress now so I am bound to her every wish, should that include my expertise in other fields." Her eyes turned back to Lucy, her voice sultry. Frozen in shock, Loke could only watch as Luna cupped Lucy's face in a loving fashion. "Forget the kittycat, I can appreciate your beauty in ways he cannot."

Lucy felt heat take over her face at the words but took a step backwards. "Take your hands off my Queen." His voice was low and a dark aura surrounded the man. It lasted only a few seconds before Luna had conjured a water bottle from the Spirit Realm and began spraying Loke with cold water. "I think it's time you had a bath and left us alone." She growled, Loke hissing at the water. Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. Yukino found the rivalry quite funny but she could only imagine how embarrassed Lucy would have felt to be in the middle of their fight.

"Both of you can go." Lucy had had enough of the immature behaviour. She wasn't a prize to fuel their feud. Loke frowned, realising Lucy wasn't going to take his side. Luna smirked at Loke, squirting water at him one last time before she appeared at Lucy's side. She took Lucy's hand and gently kissed her knuckles. Lucy was still in shock at the affection. "Don't wait too long to summon me again my darling." Luna blew a kiss at brunette before vanishing, Loke now enraged. "Two can play that game!" He shouted to the air. Before Loke could even have a chance to copy to the act, Lucy forced his gate to close.

"I've made a terrible mistake haven't I?" Lucy asked herself, rubbing her temples as Yukino giggled at the spirit's antics. "Hopefully the last one won't be as problematic?" Lucy said, looking at Yukino. "Open Gate of the Lizard; Lacerta!" The light disappeared to reveal... nothing. Lucy rubbed her eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. "Up here." A small voice called out, incredibly close to Lucy's ear. She turned her head to find a small blue and orange gecko resting on her shoulder. It's eyes twitched, flicking around. "Oh, hello. I'm Lucy Heartfillia." She reached for the lizard to shake her finger but it crawled across her hand instead, sprawling its body around her wrist.

"I have Fridays off and I can work with venom. I also have a human form. The contract is done. Goodbye Lucy Heartfillia." The lizard spoke quickly before returning to the spirit world. Lucy blinked at the now empty space where Lacerta used to be. "Well I suppose it was a lot easier." Lucy said as she walked back over to Yukino. The silver haired girl nodded. The sun had set many minuets ago, the girls walking back to the hotel in the dark. "The stars look so pretty tonight." Yukino voiced her thoughts, her eyes staring up at the twinkling night sky. Lucy smiled, agreeing with Yukino.

"Are all your spirits as... interesting as your new ones?" Yukino asked, thinking back to the scene she had witnessed between Luna and Loke. Lucy laughed as some memories popped into her head. Her spirits could never be classed as normal. "Of course, but I like them the way they are. If I'm to be their friend then I should accept them as they are and with open arms." Yukino stared at Lucy with a fondness, happy she wasn't the only Celestial mage who viewed her spirits as more than weapons.

The rest of their short walk was spent in silence, admiring the beauty of the constellations. Upon arriving at the hotel, Lucy saw that it was now 8pm. Yukino headed up to their hotel room while Lucy went to check on Rogue, hoping Sting was there with him. A groggy Rogue opened the door to Lucy's knocking. "Oh did I wake you? I'm sorry. Is Sting back now?" Rogue didn't say anything but nodded to reassure her that Sting had returned to his hotel room. "Okay that's all I wanted to know. Be sure to be down for breakfast at seven. Goodnight." She waved slightly, walking away before Rogue shut the door.

Yukino was taking a shower when Lucy arrived to their shared room. She decided to skip the shower and go in the morning, Requipping into another pair of pyjamas. Once Yukino had gotten out of the shower and changed into her own nightwear, the two decided to get an early night. The night was quiet and peaceful, allowing the two girls to fall asleep with ease. Their room spent the whole night in a comfortable silence, both girls feeling relaxed around the other.

Lucy was the first to wake up, the room dimly lit by the distant rising sun. It was indeed 6am again as Lucy checked the clock. Waking herself up first, she stretched and gently shook Yukino awake. "Good morning Yukino." Lucy smiled, her messy hair making Yukino smile from amusement. "Good morning." Yukino watched as Lucy went into the bathroom, amazed that she was actually on a mission with _the_ Lucy Heartfillia. It was a dream come true.

Lucy showered quickly, not wanting to give the impression she wanted to avoid being around Yukino. After drying herself off, she considered her choice of outfit for the day. She wouldn't be doing any fighting at all, or at least not anything that she planned. They had already figured out the magic that the dark mages used so they didn't need to use the library anymore so it would be good to coach the teenagers before the dark mages arrived. It would be a simple lesson in strategy, one she wouldn't need to take part in.

She chose a strapless white dress that flowed at her hips but cinched her waist, complimenting her figure. The hem of the dress grazed the top of her light brown thigh-high boots. Across her arms and shoulders was another cropped jacket that clipped at the base of her neck. It was pastel blue with pastel pink trimmings. Her outfit was basic, even with her added silver earrings and regular belt secured around her waist. She nodded at her sense of fashion with a smile and exited the bathroom to see Yukino all dressed in a light blue flowy dress and black flats with her white fur cloak around her shoulders. They exchanged compliments on the others appearance before heading down to get breakfast, only ten minutes earlier than the time that Lucy requested the boys join them.

Yukino had felt oddly comfortable around Lucy. She didn't know if it was because of her idolisation of Lucy being a reality or whether it was because Lucy had a trait that mages at Sabertooth did not; kindness. Losing her older sister left an empty hole in her heart and a fear of getting close to people. Sure she enjoyed her company, time with Lucy was bliss compared to being at the guild. Sabertooth was indeed a strong guild but it was filled with horrible people. Yukino felt like she deserved to experience the belittlement and humiliation, so she stayed.

Yukino was so deep in thought that she hadn't realised they were now accompanied by Sting, Rogue, Lector and Frosch. Lucy had a growing concern for the girl beside her. She had a talent for going so deep inside her own mind that she could ignore her surroundings completely. Usually, people who had that talent were very unhappy or had something clouding their mind. She had no business asking what was wrong with Yukino nor should she expect the girl to open up to her so would leave her be in her thoughts for the time being.

"Good morning Lushy!" Frosch collided into Lucy's chest, hugging the busty woman. Lucy laughed it off, thinking it was perfectly innocent coming from Frosch. "Good morning to you too." She patted his head before he scooted off her and sat on the table rather than a seat, Lector taking his place beside him. Rogue had sat in front of Lucy and Sting in front of Yukino. "Did you all sleep well?" Lucy asked, looking at the two teenagers and their Exceeds. Rogue nodded and Sting did too, not in a mood to talk. Lucy noticed the off behaviour from the blonde. _I thought Sting was more talkative, perhaps I got it wrong?_ Lucy thought to herself. She left the table first, joining Frosch and Lector to get some breakfast, leaving the three other mages alone.

Now that Lucy had left, the atmosphere between the three became awkward and slightly sour. The bitterness however, was one-sided and coming from the blonde Dragon Slayer and directed towards the girl that hadn't even noticed him yet. Yukino was still locked in her own mind so she wasn't aware of anything in the current moment. Rogue had nothing to say so he just stared at the table, ignoring the small chatter around them and the energy exiting his partner. The one person who had noticed it, was Lucy. Even standing over the other side of the dinning room, she could feel tension rising. Her training with Venus accustomed her to naturally sensing emotions from those around her within a two mile radius.

Not knowing exactly where it was coming from, she only grabbed herself an apple before heading back to the table. Now that she was facing the direction of the strong emotion, she could see it was in fact Sting who gave off the aura. Getting closer, she could see that neither Rogue nor Yukino had the same emotions as Sting, so she could rule out an argument. She wanted to help him but she doubted he would open up to her this early. She settled for easing the tension by suggesting Rogue and Sting go and get themselves something to eat.

Rogue nodded, listening to her voice even though his eyes were locked onto the wooden table between them. Sting followed Rogue shortly after but the action looked more like he was ripping himself away from his seat. Frosch and Lector returned as the teenagers left the table, happily munching on some fish. Seeing Yukino still oblivious to her surroundings, she decided to gently nudge the girl to reality. Yukino stirred as if she was being woken up for the second time. "Are you going to get some breakfast?" Lucy asked just as she bit into her apple. Yukino excused herself out of embarrassment and walked away to get some food.

Lucy looked at the two cats sat close to her. She was glad at least two of her teammates were happy. Of course, cats were a lot less complex emotionally. Her eyes moved over to the three teens over by the breakfast buffet. She felt silly that she thought she had figured them out within a few days. Even with her powers, it would be difficult to pinpoint their exact emotions. Especially since they were teenagers, their hormones would be making their emotions go all over the place. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was particularly wrong with Sting. All she could do was hope it would be a small moody phase that he would grow out of soon enough.

All three returned together, sitting and eating in silence. All three had their heads down as they ate and Lucy couldn't have felt more out of the loop. She would have heard any conversation they had so there was no obvious reason why they were all behaved that way. She left it be, finishing the rest of her apple. She had accustomed to being able to conserve energy on small meals. Despite being a queen, she knew she wouldn't remain in the palace all of the time so she knew she would have to learn survival tactics.

Holding her apple core in her hand, she waited until everyone else was finished with their food before taking it upon herself to stack up their plates and gather up their rubbish to put into a nearby bin. "Are we all ready for some training today?" Lucy grinned, hoping her enthusiasm would rub off onto them. Frosch and Lector cheered, raising their fists. "Yes!" The two were the first to jump off the table and head towards the entrance of the hotel. Yukino nodded with a smile, Rogue nodding in time with her. Sting didn't say anything nor moved his head.

Lucy ignored it, waving her hand at them to follow her to their training location. "The mayor told me that we could use the forest to train and prepare ourselves before the dark mages come. That way we won't damage anything in the town." Lucy explained, heading back to the same clearing she had used to summon her new spirits. "Yukino and I found this large clearing last night so we'll use that to minimise destruction to the forest." Lucy seemed to be talking to herself. Frosch and Lector were dawdling behind everyone else and the three other mages didn't give her any confirmation that they heard her. She let it go again, thinking some training would snap it out of them.

Now at the clearance, Lucy ordered them to stand in a line in the middle, Frosch and Lector sitting at the side to observe. She stood opposite them, looking at their depressed faces. "Originally I was going to take it easy today but I've changed my mind." Their heads lifted after hearing her. "Today I'm going to put you to the test." All three pair of eyes were on her now. Lucy grinned at them. "We'll start with ten laps of the field. Go!" She pointed to her right, her left hand waving at them to get moving. Confused, the three started off with a jog. "I want you to run not jog!" She yelled, making them pick up the pace.

Yukino regretted wearing a dress greatly and her cloak. Rogue also wanted to shed his cloak, the weighty fabric slowing him down. Lucy watched them as they completed their first lap. She smiled, seeing some life return to them as they put their energy towards running. It wasn't until their third lap that Yukino began to slow down to conserve energy. Sting and Rogue were ahead of her, continuing at their original speed. Both Rogue and Yukino had already tore off their cloaks, throwing them away.

By the fifth lap, Rogue and Sting had slowed down a bit and Yukino by a lot. Lucy smirked to herself. "You're too relaxed." She spoke loud enough for them to hear and readied herself. "Celestial Dragon's Meteor Shower!" She sent the attack down on the three surprised mages. She watched as they struggled to dodge the glowing rocks raining down on them. Yukino got hit in the stomach and leg, Rogue avoided the attack by transforming into a shadow and Sting got hit in the face. "Hey! What are you doing woman?!" Sting yelled, his temper getting the best of him. Though it was out of anger, Lucy was glad to see him speaking again.

Lucy placed her hands on her hips. "Never think there is only one objective. When fighting a group of mages, you should always be prepared for a surprise attack. Dark mages play dirty so expect them to." Lucy taught them the first lesson. "I'm going to keep attacking you so you'll have to keep dodging them while running your laps. You still have four more to go." She sent the same attack on them, watching as they now successfully managed to dodge them all. "See? Now that you expected it, you could dodge it." Lucy smiled.

She sent a few more meteor showers their way but waited until their last lap to send another attack on them. Running towards them, she leaped into the air, light surrounding her. While in the air, she had Requipped a giant dadao sword. The handle was wrapped in a chain and the blade was glowing. She swung the weapon back, aiming for the boy below her. Sting's mind went blank, eyes locked on the large weapon heading towards him. Putting his arms up to shield himself, Yukino and Rogue stopped running and watched the attack with fearful eyes. Frosch and Lector ran forward, scared for their friend.

Just as Sting stiffened to await the pain, Lucy stopped her sword an inch away from Sting's neck. She showed no strain as she held the large weapon above the boy. Realising her attack had been stopped, he slowly pulled his arms away from his face to see the tip of her sword pointed at him, her eyes narrowed at him. He felt shame at his weakness. "Lesson two." She spoke slowly, maintaining eye contact with Sting. "Never let your guard down. In a real battle, you need to work both offense and defence." She lowered her sword and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, causing the blonde to loosen up. "Don't be hard on yourself, nobody gets it right the first time but we do need to work on your defense." She smiled at him and patted him.

She Requipped her sword back. Looking back at Sting, she could see him a lot more relaxed than he was earlier. With a smile, she called them all back to the centre of the clearing to work on their defense techniques. She spent the rest of the day teaching them defenses in their own magic. She could teach the Dragon Slayers to accustom defenses to their own elements and for Yukino, she told her to meditate to build up her magic potential so she could teach her a more advanced Celestial defense spell.

Lucy had summoned Virgo to fetch them all food for their short break in between training and before they knew it, they had spent the entire day out in the field. The sun had begun to set, a swirl of pink and orange painted over the sky. Lucy looked at her panting and sweating students. They had worked hard despite not being able to successfully complete either of the spells she had taught them. She knew they'd feel disappointed but they weren't going to get stronger within just one day. "Come on, let's go back to the hotel." She grinned, reaching out her hands to pull up the tired teenagers that were sitting down on the grass.

She pulled up Sting last, his hand holding onto hers for a bit longer than he needed to. "You did great today, tomorrow you'll be even better." She smiled at him as he brushed off the dirt on his legs. He grinned back at her. "Thanks, I know." Lucy chuckled, glad to see his spirit return to him. Lucy hanged back to walk beside Sting, the others already in the distance and carrying their cloaks in hand. Unknown to Lucy, Sting felt a comfort deep inside him each time she stood near him.

Arriving at the hotel, Lucy told all of them to go wash up and she would have Virgo bring them food again to their rooms. She let Yukino wash up first, sitting down on the edge of her bed as she waited. After a few minutes of waiting, she heard a knock at their room door. Curious as to who would be knocking, she stood to answer the door. "Who is it?" She asked through the door, being cautious. "It's me." Recognising the voice, she opened the door to an unpredictable sight.


	23. Chapter 23

**Wednesday is here :D Also I just spent half an hour realising I got Lucy's age wrong. Even from my own calculations! Really, if she should have been 17 when she left Fairy Tail (a year in Earthland time before they all got frozen) then she would have been 21 in Earthland time not 24! Sorry if this confuses anyone but just remember that Lucy is 21 not 24 sorry XD.**

* * *

 **~Chapter 23~**

* * *

Standing before her was an out of breath Sting, hunched over with his hands on his knees. "Sting? What's wrong?" Lucy opened the door wider, stepping out towards the boy. "Nothing." He placed his hand out in front of him, creating a barrier between himself and Lucy. "Are you sure? It looks like you ran here." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at Sting.

Sting finally pulled himself together and stood up straight. "Everything's fine." He grinned, washing away her worries. "Okay, well was there something you needed?" Lucy asked, curious why he would be in such a hurry to reach her. He shrugged. "Uhm... I just wanted to tell you that I like having you as a tutor." Lucy relaxed, happy at the unexpected words. "Oh. Thank you Sting, I'm glad you feel that way." She grinned at him, pleased at the progress she was making with the dragon slayer. He returned her grin, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well I should get back to my room to shower..." He spoke in a nervous tone, shuffling his feet in the direction he came from. "Goodnight Sting." Lucy smiled, waving the blonde off as he walked away. She closed the door and locked it behind her. She decided not to think anything of what just happened, just happy that Sting was comfortable around her now. _Everything is fine, I'm just paranoid._ She convinced herself, heading into the bathroom now that Yukino had finished showering and changing.

Unknown to Lucy, the fifteen year old boy was far from fine. Lucy had pinned it down to teenage hormones but what troubled the boy was a strange and new feeling he had never experienced before. It was a strong urge to be as close to Lucy as he could and he couldn't figure out why. Sure she was nice to him and his partners but he had known her for a matter of days. He was just so confused why he was feeling that way. It wasn't as if he could ignore it either, it was as though something deep inside of him was trying to claw its way out and take over.

Weisslogia had taught him all about the nature of dragons and their instincts but he never thought he would experience it so early in his life. Part of him knew this had something to do with his inner dragon but he couldn't pinpoint what caused it exactly. He knew that dragons were extremely possessive so perhaps that had a role in what he was feeling. All he knew was that whenever he would see Yukino so close to Lucy and spending alone time with Lucy, it angered him deep inside. He had a growing hatred aimed towards the silver haired girl for stealing Lucy's attention away from him.

Whenever Lucy came close to him or even placed her hand on him, he felt all of his tension go away and he would relax. He didn't know why but he really wanted to because it was all just so confusing for him. Lucy should have been at least 21 so she was too old for him to having feelings for Lucy. Right? He couldn't think on the matter any longer, Lector had jumped into his arms to go to sleep. Sting looked down at the Exceed in his arms and sighed, hoping he would be able to get a grip on his own emotions and fast.

* * *

The three weeks passed by quickly, the days seeming shorter since they were distracted with all of their training. Lucy had made sure they were able to successfully complete stronger defense spells by the end of the second week. Sting and Rogue had worked more on their Dragon Roars, since it was the only one that could act as both offense and defense. Lucy had taught Yukino a Celestial defense spell called Galaxy's Shield. It was a spell tied to the mage's Celestial Spirits and their constellations. She would need to use a key and swipe it in the shape of their constellation to form a powerful shield around the mage. It took Yukino longer to learn her spell since Sting and Rogue already knew how to perform theirs.

In the seemingly short time, the teens had loosened up around Lucy, feeling more confident to engage conversation with her. Lucy was glad that they didn't have to sit in silence anymore. Recently, they spent the last couple of days out by the outskirts of the town, waiting upon the arrival of the dark mages. Their appearance was estimated for today but nobody could know for certain. Everything had been going so well for the mission and for the team but Lucy had noticed that Sting's behaviour often changed.

Some days he would be fine and back to the original boy that Lucy had first met but then he would suddenly shift into a silent and brooding mess. He wouldn't put as much focus into his training nor would he engage in conversation. Thankfully, Lucy had figured out a pattern to his mood swings. She noticed that he felt better on the days she would spend more time praising him and working with him alone. She thought it was perhaps an attention deficit, that Sting required a lot of praise and attention to be at his peak performance. Despite the observation, she didn't give more attention to the blonde, not wanting to feed into such a trait.

Currently, Lucy had told all her teammates to split up into pairs. She partnered Lector and Frosch together, Sting and Rogue together and herself with Yukino. Lector and Frosch would be able to cover more ground together if they could both fly around the edge of the town. Sting and Rogue were stationed further in the forest around the town and Lucy and Yukino were on the other side of the forest.

The mayor had informed them that there was a total of four dark mages. Now that they had found out that the dark mages possessed Illusion Magic, they could be prepared for their attacks. It was already midday and they had spent just over four hours walking around the forest with no sign of the intruders. Lucy gave each team a Lacrima radio should they need any backup. Frosch and Lector would be scouts from above to help pinpoint all four of the dark mages, incase one team was ambushed.

It had already been a few hours of circling around the forest with no signs of the dark mages. After a couple of days of tedious scouting, Lucy knew her teammates, or more specifically Sting, would be growing irritated at the standstill of their progress. Of course all they could do was wait until the mages decided to show their faces. After their small training, she came to understand that Sting had the same flame inside as Natsu in regards to fighting. However, she was thankful that Sting gave more thought to his fights, rather than rushing in without a plan. Her only worry was that Sting would potentially take on more than he could chew, always trying to impress.

"Do you think they'll show up today Lucy?" Yukino's soft voice broke Lucy out of her thoughts. "Perhaps, but we can't know for certain." Lucy answered, matching her slow footsteps with Yukino's. "I hope they do." Lucy shifted her gaze to the shorter girl, looking at the side of Yukino's face. It was an odd confession from Yukino, she hadn't thought she would be one itching to fight. She was about to ask her why when her ears picked up the sound of faint footsteps. Lucy placed a hand against Yukino's shoulder, gluing the girl in place, and placed a finger to her lips.

'Move behind the tree.' Lucy mouthed to Yukino, gently pushing the silver haired girl away from her. Yukino tiptoed towards the large tree, easily concealed behind it's wide trunk. Lucy snuck behind an equally large tree, listening to the footsteps growing louder. She figured out the owner of the footsteps would head directly in between the two girls. Lucy listened carefully and came to conclusion that there were two patterns of footsteps. She held up two fingers to Yukino, who nodded in response.

Yukino waited patiently for Lucy's signal to launch a surprise attack on the mages. Her eyes locked onto Lucy's right hand. As soon as Lucy's fingers moved in sequence, Yukino leapt into action. She jumped out of her hiding spot, Libra's key already in hand. Lucy hadn't, but she took that as her opportunity to show her own strength. "Open Gate of the Heavenly Scales; Libra!" The spirit appeared in a flash. In front of Yukino and Libra were two males. One of them had shoulder-length sandy blonde hair and a tanned complexion. His emerald green eyes were dimmed behind tinted sunglasses. He had a small scar across his right cheek, next to the singular cross earring on his right ear. His lips were pulled into a smirk, tightened around an unlit cigarette. He wore a loose dark grey tank top, brown jacket, black baggy jeans and black boots. There was a silver chain looped around his jeans. The other wore a dark red shirt and tighter black jeans with brown boots, a long dark blue cloak flowing behind him. His skin was pale, contrasting against his bright red eyes. He had deep brown hair tied back into a short ponytail and rectangular glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

"Increase their gravity Libra." Yukino ordered, eyes narrowed at the intruders. Libra did as instructed, swinging around the scales attached to her hands to perform her gravity attack on the males. Much to Yukio's surprise, the two men vanished and within a second, her body was tied up with magical ropes that had been fired at her from seemingly nowhere. As though it was deja vu, the same men walked out from behind some bushes, smirks plastered on their faces. "Those were illusions!" Yukino yelled out, feeling foolish for not realising. They chuckled between themselves, looking at each other before turning their heads towards Yukino.

Because of their surprise attack, Yukino had lost focus and Libra had returned to the Celestial Spirit Realm, leaving Yukino defenceless. Of course, she wasn't alone at all, Lucy was still in her hiding spot, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack the mages. Yukino had momentarily forgotten about the older girl, so used to completing missions alone. "She looks so cute all tied up and squirming." The tanned one drooled, edging forward to get closer to Yukino. "Get away from me! I'm a mage of Sabertooth!" The pair of them snickered at her warning.

"Not a very good one." The paler commented, moving forward. Yukino felt a sting from his words. "What should we do with you?" The blonde moved even closer, inching his hand closer to Yukino's chest. Lucy finally got her perfect shot and shifted into a fighting stance. "Celestial Dragon's Roar!" She had jumped out from behind the tree to send the men flying towards a boulder. The two fell unconscious upon impact. Their bodies fell to the floor and went limp. Yukino sighed in relief. It was a strange feeling to be rescued. In Sabertooth it was 'every man for himself' with no exceptions. Being saved meant you were weak and saving someone meant you were foolish. "Tch, they couldn't even stay conscious from one attack." Yukino said, belittling the men to gain back her own confidence.

Lucy made quick work of untying Yukino from her restraints and wrapping the same enchanted rope around the two dark mages. "Are you alright?" Lucy asked the girl that was staring at her feet, an arm around the other. Yukino nodded gently, hiding away her feelings of shame. "Hey, don't listen to them. You're a great mage and an even better Celestial mage." Lucy had squatted down to look Yukino in the eye. "With practise, you'll be a force to be reckoned with." Her words brought confidence back to Yukino as well as her smile. "Thank you Lucy."

"You call Frosch and Lector on the Lacrima radio to tell them we've beaten two of them, I'll contact the local authorities to come and collect them." Lucy ordered. Once Lucy had done as she said, Yukino had told her that Frosch and Lector weren't answering their radio. "Do you think they're in trouble?" Yukino asked but there was no sign of worry on her face. Lucy hummed in thought. "I've already told the authorities where these two are, we can start scouting for the other two now." She advised. "Come on, they'll be on the other side of the forest."

The two ran off in the direction of their teammates, assuming the remaining two dark mages had encountered Sting and Rogue.

* * *

"This is boring." Sting huffed for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. His arms were bent behind his head, fingers intertwined against his blonde hair. Rogue gave a short hum in agreement. Sting frowned, eyes glaring at a nearby tree, hoping it would be an illusion and a mage would replace it. He was itching for a fight. He had so much emotion pent up inside him that he needed to release it in the only way he knew how. A groan of frustration broke the silence that had begun to return between the boys.

Rogue glanced at his partner but didn't say anything. He had no interest in other people's thoughts, even the boy he had spent most of his life with. He was quite content with his own thoughts spiralling away to focus on anyone else's. "We haven't heard from Lector and Frosch in a while, should we call them?" To Rogue it sounded like he was concerned for their Exceeds but to Sting, he was just looking for a distraction from their tedious scouting. "Ok." Rogue turned to face Sting fully, watching as the blonde took out their radio and pressed a few buttons.

"Lector? Are you there?" Sting spoke into the radio only to receive static back. "Lector?" Sting asked again and got a reply that time. "Yes! I'm here Sting! Have you found the dark mages?" Lector asked, hoping he wouldn't have to keep flying for much longer. "No, we were hoping you had spotted anything." Rogue took his turn to speak, eyes staring down at the radio's speaker. "I'm sorry Rogue, Fro hasn't found anything!" Frosch's voice indicted the Exceed was sniffling, disappointed in his lack of foundings. "It's fine Frosch." Rogue comforted his partner through the radio.

Sting took a second to think before chiming in. "Have you heard from Lucy yet?" He tilted his head to turn his ear closer to the radio, awaiting their response eagerly. "We haven't heard from them and we can't see them either." Lector informed the dragon slayers. "What if they're in trouble!?" Frosch whined, concerned for the woman who gave him pets and treats so often. Sting's hand gripped the radio tighter at Frosch's words. He didn't want to think about Lucy being in trouble. "I'm sure Lucy and Yukino will be fine." Rogue assured his crying Exceed.

"You can't be sure though." Frosch's voice broke, crying over Lucy's hypothetical danger. "Why don't you two come down and meet with us for a break from flying all the time?" Rogue suggested, concerned for his crying friend. Frosch and Lector agreed, the radio turning silent as they searched the sky to pinpoint Sting and Rogue's location. Both males turned their faces to the sky and soon spotted the two Exceeds hovering many feet above them. Lector pointed down, nudging Frosch to show his friend where they would need to land.

The cats landed gracefully in front of their dragon slayers. Lector had a smug smirk on his face, proud of his perfect landing whereas Frosch's face could only express his worry for his teammate. "Fro can't stop worrying about Lushy." He whined, his head hung back as tears flowed down his face. Rogue crouched down and wiped away Frosch's tears. "Calm down Frosch." His soft voice and small smile calmed down the upset cat. "Besides, you're insulting Lucy with your lack of faith in her power. You don't want to insult her, do you?" Frosch frowned. "No... Fro didn't mean to insult Lushy." Rogue stood back up now that he had stopped Frosch crying. "Good. Lucy is very powerful, so you should trust that she will be alright." Frosch nodded in agreement.

"So you haven't seen or heard from Lucy at all?" Sting asked the pair, his thoughts clouded with the older brunette. Lector and Frosch shook their heads in unison. Rogue shifted a glance to his partner, noticing he only asked about Lucy instead of Yukino. Of course, neither of them had much interest in getting to know Yukino, she had nothing they could gain from her friendship. Their lack of interest in her was also fuelled by the fact that Yukino spent most of her time following Minerva around like a servant. The girl had no pride in their eyes and they sometimes questioned how she was even let into Sabertooth.

There was a brief silence before a rustling made all four snap their heads in the sound's direction. It came from behind a nearby tree which was big enough to conceal what caused the noise. "Who's there?" Sting lowered his voice with the intention to intimidate whoever had stumbled across them. The group sighed in relief upon seeing Lucy stepping out from behind the tree. "Lushy!" Frosch was the first to make a move towards the brunette but Sting had beaten him by reaching Lucy first. "We hadn't heard from you in a while, I- they were worried about you." Sting scrunched up his face in a scolding manner to conceal his true feelings of relief.

Lucy said nothing, just smiling and shrugged at them. "Well you're here now. Where's Yukino?" Lector asked, stepping towards Lucy, looking around for the silver haired girl. Rogue stared at Lucy, thinking to himself. "Yeah where's Yukino? And why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the other side of the forest?" Sting asked. Lucy said nothing again but raised a hand and gently placed it on Sting's shoulder. Rogue picked up on the strange movement of his teamamte and his eyes grew wider with realisation. "Sting, get away from her." His words made Sting turn his head to face Rogue, confusion written on his face.

Before he could ask why, he felt a strong punch hit his stomach. The blonde doubled over in pain, retching up his breakfast from the sheer force of the blow. Sting strained his neck to look up at the fake Lucy, whose grin was dark and thirsty for violence. Her fists were clenched, twitching with the desire to inflict more pain on the poor boy. Before they knew it, each of them were tied up on the ground with magical restriction ropes that they were unable to escape from and tape around their mouths. All pairs of eyes were locked onto the fake Lucy, awaiting her next move that never came. A woman stepped out from behind the same tree the fake Lucy had.

She was slightly smaller than the fake Lucy and wore a loose faded pink jacket that was baggy on her thin stature, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She wore tight blue jeans and a baggy brown shirt. A dark blue collar was wrapped tightly around her neck. She had shoulder length spiky black hair that was slightly flattened by a thin red headband. Her skin was pale and her eyes blended into the fairness of her skin with their light purple colour. Her lips were pulled up into a smirk of triumph. The woman crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at the struggling males.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" She grinned at her victims. She quickly joined by an older black male who exited from behind the same tree she had. Standing next to the woman, he towered over her with his long limbs. He had slicked back black hair that tickled the backs of his ears. His eyes were as black as his hair and showed no emotion, along with the rest of his facial features. His eyebrows had two slits in each and he had a scar going across his left eye. He had two earrings in his left ear and a goatee. He wore a black joggers, a black turtleneck and a khaki vest with a satchel slung over his right shoulder.

"Make this quick." His voice was deep and his tone was demanding. The woman scoffed at her companion. "You never let me have any fun." The man didn't say anything to respond, his eyes landing on the two lacrima radios their victims had in procession. He stepped forward and grabbed the devices away from the Exceeds and dragon slayers. He made no hesitation to stomp his foot on both of the radios, preventing either of them to call for help should they somehow manage to escape. He walked back over to his partner and gave her a look of disappointment. "You're getting sloppy." The woman pouted at his words. "I trapped them didn't I?!" He sighed at her outburst and remained calm.

"Finish this up quickly, I'll contact James and David." He spoke quickly before walking away and out of view. The woman began to chuckle at the trapped and squirming victims before her. "I'm going to have fun with this." The fake Lucy suddenly began to move, as though the woman's words were a signal. Horror struck into each of the woman's victims as the fake Lucy begun to morph and split into four versions of herself. The grotesque view of Lucy ripping apart and forming another version of herself was enough to strike fear into each of them. "I can see inside each of your tiny brains and use my Illusions to break down all of your spirits until you beg me to stop." The woman declared, proud to overturn the powerful mages she had caught.

"A lot of people underestimate Illusion Magic but it truly is the best form of torture." Her face morphed into a disturbed grin, her eyes wide with anticipation. As she spoke, the fake Lucy approached each Sabertooth mage and began a different form of emotional despair on each male. The woman possessed a form of telepathy to look into a person's mind to unlock all of their worst fears along with her own form of Illusion Magic to pair with it, forming her own method of torture.

For Lector and Frosch, the fake Lucys before them had crouched down to the ground, their faces inches away from the Exceeds'. The two could only watch in fear as Lucy's face began to change into their own dragon slayer's. In different circumstances, it would have been funny to see the males' heads on a woman's body but in the moment, it could only be described as disturbing. The fake Sting and Rogue began distributing insults and doubt into the small and innocent minds underneath them. Not only did their words hurt the poor Exceeds, but they felt suffocated by the body only inches away from them.

As much as Sting and Rogue wanted to help their helpless partners, they had their own demon in front of them to deal with. For Rogue, the fake Lucy swiftly changed into a ghostly figure covered all in black with blank white eyes and an inhumanely large grin. Despite wanting nothing more than to look away from the creature above him, he had no control to pull his eyes away from the demonic face drooling over him. The creature had more teeth that it seemed could fit inside its already large mouth but still managed to allow strings of drool to escape its lips. " _Why do you look so afraid boy? You know me already. I'm inside you._ " Rogue couldn't deny the creature's words with his voice so he shook his head.

" _You can't deny me. No matter where you go, I'll always be there. Forever."_ The corners of its mouth stretched even wider across its thin face, tearing its skin. Tears gathered in Rogue's red eyes. Even though he knew it was all an illusion, it felt so real and so _familiar_. It felt as though the creature was speaking the truth, no matter how much Rogue wanted to deny it. " _I'm a bigger part of you than you want to admit. You need me so much that one day, I'll be running the show and it'll be your turn to sit back and watch from the shadows."_ The tears finally fell down his cheeks. It was a foreign feeling to the black haired boy, never one to expression much emotion, even when he was alone. He hated how the creature knew how to make him collapse from the inside. It was the first time in his life that he had felt so afraid and so powerless.

The fake Lucy that had approached Sting had stayed the same, unlike the others. The majority of his brain was focussed on the brunette, so the woman decided to use a different emotion other than fear against the blonde. The fake Lucy stood towering over Sting, her feet either side of Sting's chest. The fake Lucy was wearing a dress, so out of respect for his superior, he averted his gaze and turned his head away. " _Why aren't you looking? You're just a pervert at heart so you should be glad to see me standing over you!_ " Sting gritted his teeth in anger. The fake model didn't even sound like Lucy, it had the same voice sure, but he had gotten to know Lucy now and he knew she wouldn't say something like that.

" _I know you want to look. It's not like you try to hide your obvious feelings for me. Everybody knows._ " Sting listened to the words but tried his hardest not to take anything to heart. " _I hope you know that I hate you. Everybody does. You're weak._ " Those were the words that made Sting snap his head back to glare at the imposter above him. Thankfully, the fake Lucy had bent over and his eyes could only see her face inches away from his own. If this was the real woman, he would have easily gotten flustered by her features so close to him, but it was nothing more than a vulgar clone.

He couldn't say anything to defend himself against the accusations dished out by the fake Lucy. " _You try so hard to look strong but you're just so weak. You can't even save yourself from simple restraints_." Each word felt like a nail being stomped into his heart by her foot. He tried to remind himself that it was all a trick but even he wasn't immune to the pain caused by such harsh words. " _Look at you! You're so pathetic beneath me. It's a shock that anybody even-_ "

"SHUT UP!" Sting's whole body stiffened as he witnessed a large sword slice through the body above him. The fake Lucy was pulled back by the weapon impaling it. His blue eyes narrowed in on the sight of the real Lucy holding the handle of the weapon. He couldn't put her expression into words, nor could he properly process what he had just witnessed. Even in his state of shock, he could see tears pooling in her eyes that were fixated on the body she had just impaled.

Lucy pulled out the blade from the body that lay below her feet. The illusion had feasted off of Sting's emotions to gain matter and became a solid body, but didn't have the ability to bleed. Lucy had heard it's voice from a few feet away, thanks to her dragon senses, and heard every insult. The words were directed towards Sting but all she could think of was that fateful day she left Fairy Tail. That thing made her relive the past with just its words. Something inside her broke loose and her anger was desperate to take over from her rational thinking.

Just as she was finally healing, this woman had placed her back at square one. She had summoned her Erskine sword and plunged it forward into the body. Even though the body was a clone of herself, she could only picture the faces of her old teammates. Once Lucy had pulled out the blade from the body and saw the pain flash across its eyes, she dropped her sword. She kept her eyes locked onto those of the dying clone, the pair of cold orbs making her come to a realisation. She was so zoned in onto the clone that she hadn't realised Yukino had already defeated the remaining dark mages.

Yukino had decided to take advantage of Lucy's sudden leap into action and defeat the female dark mage with a surprise attack with Pisces, who also scouted out the older dark mage and trapped them in their scaly bodies. Lucy hadn't been able to tear her eyes away from the body lying below her to help out the boys from their restraints, so Yukino was left to help them alone. Since the mage who had unleashed the illusions had been defeated, the boys were brought out of their torment.

Frosch was already crying, Lector not too far behind from joining him. The frog-dressed Exceed leapt into Rogue's arms once Yukino had untied him from the magical ropes. Sting's mind still hadn't returned to reality when Lector returned to his side for comfort. The blonde boy couldn't stop his brain from rewinding the horrifying scene of watching Lucy being impaled and pulled back, seeing the life leave her.

He had developed an small obsession over Lucy, relishing in her welcoming and friendly personality. It felt so nice to be around her and he hated to leave her side and be forced to return to the harshness of the world. Seeing the person who had made such an effect on him die before him shook him to his core. Thankfully, it was just a clone and not the real woman. He lay on the ground for a few minutes, coming to the conclusion that from that moment on, he would do everything in his power to protect Lucy.

He hated to admit anyone was stronger then he, but it was undeniable that Lucy had more power than him. Be that as it may, he would do all that he could to get stronger and protect Lucy. But nobody else needed to know that. "Are you listening Sting?" Lector waved his paws in Sting's face to gain the blonde's attention. Sting blinked, coming to his senses. "Huh? Yeah." He acted cool, sitting up to take in the surroundings again. He immediately began ignoring Lector's rant the moment his eyes found Lucy staring down at the clone she had pulled off him.

He could see there was something bothering her. He wasn't one for all the sappy emotional stuff but he still felt the need to get up and comfort her. It was like her mood affected his own. He didn't like feeling like this but what could he do? It was all new to him so he had no answers and he certainly wasn't going to ask anyone about it either.

Lucy felt a pair of eyes burning into her and glanced around to find the culprit. He hadn't realised she had caught him red handed, so she just left it and assumed it was out of innocence. She finally had the strength to move herself and walk over to Yukino, who was hovering in the middle of everyone. "You did great today." Lucy praised the girl, receiving a smile at her comment. "Thank you." Yukino turned her head up, letting the simple praise go straight to her ego. Lucy shook her head internally at the action.

"Why don't you and the others head back to the hotel? I'll sort everything out with the mayor." Yukino nodded, swiftly moving to inform the plan to the other teenagers. Lucy turned around to look at the other two tied up mages. She pursed her lips in thought. _Do I risk it and leave them here while I inform the authorities where they are, or do I just drag them with me?_ She pondered for a moment before deciding to be on the safe side and drag the pair with her into town.

She grabbed a few pieces of rope before proceeding to drag the two unconscious mages into town.


End file.
